Ukraine currently has the largest army on the continent, whose effectiveness and innovation, according to President Alexander Stubba, are at a level higher than the armed forces of other countries of the region.
– It is the Ukrainians who teach us what bullets are effective and in what situations – noted the leader of Finland, emphasizing the key role of Kiev in the modernization of European defense.
Russia is testing the West on many levels
The Finnish president also referred to disturbing incidents related to Russian drones, which violated the airspace of Poland and Romania. He assessed them as an element of Moscow's strategy, aimed at “testing Western countries on land, sea and air”. Although NATO's reactions in these situations were, according to Alexander Stubba, adequate events highlighted imperfections in the air defense systems of the Member States.
In the context of the defense of the Eastern Flanka NATO, Stubb pointed to the mission of the Alliance “Eastern Guard “, the introduction of which is to strengthen military cooperation from the south of Europe – covering the territory of Poland and Romania – to the northern ends of the continent, including Finland and Norway.
“We will act together to meet these challenges,” the Finnish leader announced.
The use of technology for future strategies
When asked about the potential violation of Finnish airspace by Russian drones, Alexander Stubb pointed out that such an act would be the result of “bad will or extreme incompetence.”
He explained that the trajectory of Russian drones directed to Ukraine does not include Finland's territory, suggesting that a similar incident in his country would be unlikely.
During the conference, Henna Virkkunen, the deputy head of the European Commission, also took the floor, which emphasized Ukraine's abilities in the acquisition of modern military technologies and indicated the need to draw conclusions from the country's experience.
“Ukrainians have learned a lot about military technology during the war,” she noted. The deputy head of the EC emphasized that the EU defense market is still addicted to import and requires deep reform.
