Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Tuesday that Finland‘s membership in NATO, which began a year ago, has transformed the country into a “front-line state.” This change, he noted, was due to the fact that joining NATO has doubled the length of the military bloc’s border with Russia.
Finland, the 31st member of NATO, shares a 1,340-kilometre (832-mile) border with Russia, which extends through dense forests in the south and harsh Arctic terrain in the north.
Stubb, during a visit to Sweden, discussed the implications of Finland’s NATO membership at a joint news conference in Stockholm with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.
Both nations had long embraced neutrality, avoiding military alliances, but shifted their policies after Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022.
“The best way to avoid war is to talk less and prepare more,” Stubb said during the conference. He also noted that although the focus on military readiness is critical, the increasing prevalence of war-related news on screens can affect younger generations’ sense of security.
“It is understandable. Our screens are filled with wars in Europe and the Middle East. But this rhetoric can easily disturb the younger generations’ sense of security and faith in the future,” he said.
Kristersson agreed, emphasising the deep connections between Sweden and Finland. “Sweden and Finland therefore not only share a common history. We very much share a common future,” he said. His country became the 32nd NATO member in March.
Stubb, who became Finland’s president in February, highlighted the significance of joining NATO for both countries, describing it as “the final step in adopting the Western community of values.”
This step further cemented their integration into the Western alliance following their membership in the European Union in 1995.
“Finland and Sweden play a key role in promoting peace. It sounds paradoxical, but that is precisely why we want a strong military and why we joined NATO,” Stubb said during an address to the Swedish parliament. He delivered his speech in Swedish, the second official language of Finland.
During his visit to Sweden, Stubb also met with Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia, marking his first state visit abroad as president of Finland.
The two countries share a rich history, with Finland having been part of the Kingdom of Sweden for nearly 700 years until it became an autonomous Grand Duchy under the Russian Empire in 1809.
Finland eventually declared its independence from Russia in 1917, during the Russian Revolution.
Tyler Mitchell