Stubb urged Europe not to overestimate Russian hybrid attacks

In an interview with POLITICO on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Stubb said that Russia wants to destabilize and intimidate Europe so that allies support Ukraine more slowly. He warned that every time Europe overreacts to a hybrid attack, Moscow gets exactly the effect it is aiming for.

Stubb added that Russia is neither interested in nor capable of moving to a full-scale escalation against NATO, although it will continue its attempts at intimidation. According to him, Finnish intelligence sees Russian activity, but does not see an imminent military threat.

He welcomed Germany’s recent decision to hold Russia responsible for an attempted drone attack in Leipzig. At the same time, Stubb criticized some intelligence services that, in his words, are effectively telling Europeans: “you are next”, even though he does not see evidence of such a scenario.

Stubb said that he does not expect a peace agreement this week, but considers a possible framework for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, linked to grain or energy, a step in the right direction. He also hopes for new negotiations in the coming weeks, including a possible meeting between Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky at the G20 summit in Miami in December, if Donald Trump can arrange such a meeting. Stubb added that he does not consider a scenario with a single European negotiator realistic and described his role as helping behind the scenes.

Sources

• Source: politico.eu