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Finland’s President Alexander Stubb speaks candidly on Europe’s defence capabilities amid growing debate over whether the continent can protect itself without direct support from the United States. In the discussion, NATO leaders address Europe’s military readiness, defence spending, Arctic security, and the impact of U.S. pressure, including tensions linked to Greenland.
Stubb’s remarks come as European nations reassess strategic autonomy and transatlantic relations in response to shifting U.S. policy signals under President Donald Trump.
#AlexanderStubb #Finland #EuropeDefence #NATO #EuropeanSecurity #ArcticSecurity #TransatlanticRelations #Trump #InternationalNews #APT
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLEtz3H0jSfEneSdf1YKnw/join
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb speaks candidly on Europe’s defence capabilities amid growing debate over whether the continent can protect itself without direct support from the United States. In the discussion, NATO leaders address Europe’s military readiness, defence spending, Arctic security, and the impact of U.S. pressure, including tensions linked to Greenland.
Stubb’s remarks come as European nations reassess strategic autonomy and transatlantic relations in response to shifting U.S. policy signals under President Donald Trump.
#AlexanderStubb #Finland #EuropeDefence #NATO #EuropeanSecurity #ArcticSecurity #TransatlanticRelations #Trump #InternationalNews #APT
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NewsTranscript
00:00Ramp up the ability to handle a protracted conflict without the U.S.
00:05What is the plan B if diplomacy fails?
00:08I understand your question, but I would like to assure you that our Polish independence and sovereignty is very strong.
00:19The first I believe in Polish soldiers, of course, in our history and our readiness to fight with everyone who would like to invade Poland.
00:32So we felt a strong country on the eastern flank of NATO, but we also believe in diplomacy.
00:39It's natural in NATO, our cooperation with NATO, with European Union.
00:47Diplomacy is, of course, the part of the security guarantees, but what we can do as the Republic of Poland and our friends also doing this,
00:58I see the president of Latvia, Baltic states, we, of course, made the decisions to increase the budgets for military service.
01:09And it was the great achievement of Europe.
01:12What has happened? In Haag, Donald Trump pushed Europeans to increase the military service cost and GDP.
01:25Also, European Union need Donald Trump to be pushed by him to increase this budget.
01:33It's not a good way, and many countries inside Europe still haven't done this.
01:40So, you know, we have a big problem about the feeling for our security and responsibility for secure European Union.
01:50I'm going to get to you in just a second, Mr. Secretary-General, of course.
01:54But, President Stubb, I'd like to ask you first, do you see this sense of urgency for a Plan B among your European partners?
02:04Is there the need for that? And who should lead the charge?
02:06Because, I mean, it's a bit unfair. We're sitting here on the panel with Finland and Poland.
02:09You know, you are really doing a lot when it comes to defence, especially Finland.
02:14You have this comprehensive approach to defence in your country.
02:19Are your partners, are they experiencing the urgency?
02:22Who needs to come up with the Plan B and lead the charge?
02:26Well, I mean, two answers.
02:28First is a direct answer to the question of this panel, can Europe defend itself?
02:32My answer is unequivocally yes.
02:34Without the Americans?
02:35Without the Americans. I mean...
02:37How?
02:37Well, look...
02:39But you're relying on them for these key elements.
02:41How would you do it at scale and at duration and at intensity?
02:44With an assumption that the United States would cut off completely any kind of work.
02:49Well, if we look at the defence composure of Europe by and large, and a country like Finland, so how do we do it?
02:56We have conscription. One million have done it.
02:59We can mobilise 280,000 soldiers within weeks.
03:03We have 62 F-18s.
03:06Your next question is going to be, do they fly without Americans?
03:09No, they don't.
03:10But do we trust that they will continue to fly because it's in the interest of America to do so?
03:14Yes.
03:15We just bought 64 F-35s.
03:17We have the biggest artillery in Europe together with Poland.
03:20We have long-range missiles, land, sea, and air.
03:26We don't have this because we're worried about Stockholm, right?
03:28So, you know, the bottom line is that if you ask me the question that can the Finnish military defend itself against a Russian attack, the whole defence composure of the way in which you do it?
03:40Yes, we can.
03:40But then the second question, which you were alluding to, I think we also have to understand that you fight wars on the battlefield, but you win them at home.
03:49And that means that all of us need to focus more on comprehensive security, the civilian side of things.
03:56That's why we have civilian shelters for 4.4 million Finns.
04:01That's why we have a security of supply where we don't get into any kind of trouble with food shortages, energy shortages, or electricity grids because we've got this.
04:11And this is the, I think, capability that a lot of European states need to do.
04:16My absolutely final point, it's all good and well to talk about percentages, but just remember, you don't fight wars with percentages, you fight wars with capabilities, and those you just need to have in stock.
04:27Do European NATO allies need to think more about having capabilities that overlap with the United States to hedge their bets?
04:35The NATO is constructed like this, that the U.S., Canada, and the European NATO allies were completely integrated.
04:43It doesn't mean that there is the U.S. coming to the rescue of Europe or Europe coming to the rescue of the United States.
04:48We are working completely integrated, and for the protection of both the U.S. and Europe, it's crucial that NATO is there.
04:57There was one big irritant on the American side with NATO, and the big irritant since Eisenhower was that they were spending,
05:03the U.S. was spending so much more than Europe was spending.
05:06Even today, the U.S. is spending 3.5% of GDP on core defense.
05:09We are spending in Europe average 2% of defense.
05:14And here's my question to the audience.
05:16I mean, many of you I know criticize Donald Trump, but do you really think that without Donald Trump,
05:22eight big economies in Europe, including Spain and Italy and Belgium, Canada, by the way, also outside Europe,
05:29would have come to 2% in 2025, when they were only on 1.5% at the beginning of the year?
05:35No way!
05:36Without Donald Trump, this would never have happened.
05:39They're all on 2% now.
05:40Do you really think that in a summit in The Hague, as already Alex was saying,
05:44sorry, the president of Finland was saying,
05:46that we would come to an overall defense spending of 5%, including 3.5% in core defense,
05:52if President Trump would not have been re-elected as president of the United States, no way!
05:57It would never have happened.
05:58So again, I'm not popular with you now, because I'm defending Donald Trump,
06:02but I really believe we can be happy that he is there,
06:05because he has forced us in Europe to step up, to face the consequences,
06:09that we have to take care more of our own defense.
06:12And this is the thing.
06:14The Americans still have over 80.000 soldiers in Europe.
06:17They are still, including in Poland, in Germany, etc.
06:19They are still heavily invested in European defense.
06:22And yes, they have to pivot more towards Asia.
06:25So it is only logical for them to expect us in Europe to step up over time.
06:30And there is this plan already in, since Jens Stoltenberg, my predecessor, designed it,
06:34the NATO defense planning process, to over time make sure that Europe can take over more
06:39of these capabilities, of these core enablers from the U.S.,
06:43to do more of the protection of the European continent.
06:46And we're still having a strong conventional U.S. presence in Europe, also going forward.
06:51And of course, the nuclear umbrella as our ultimate guarantor.
06:54But again, I'm absolutely convinced, without Donald Trump, we would not have taken those decisions.
06:59And they are crucial, particularly for the European and the Canadian side of NATO,
07:03to really grow up in the post-Cold War world.
07:06Madam Kelly, you are not happy with this answer, I suppose, of Mark Rutte,
07:11that we need Donald Trump in the European Union, but we believe in our military service in Poland.
07:18I would like to add that Poland won with the Soviets and Bolsheviks,
07:24Finland won with the Soviets and Bolsheviks in the 20th century,
07:28Japanese and Afghans won with the Soviet Union.
07:33So we are ready in our countries to secure our independence,
07:38but we need geopolitical and some relations in Europe and in the world to be stronger.
07:44We have time for just a quick closing round now,
07:46and I'd like to turn to Nadia to kick us off with that,
07:50because we have the statement from the European Commission President,
07:53Ursula von der Leyen, yesterday, describing a seismic change
07:56that makes it necessary to build a new form of European independence.
08:02And I'm wondering if you can give us, from the investment perspective,
08:06what you think is necessary to realize that vision.
08:10I want to, since it's a closing remark, and I was listening to my colleagues,
08:15and I want to say, I think the European Union is a superpower.
08:20And I think we have to believe in ourselves and our capability.
08:23And I'm very happy to see three leaders that are really very self-assured,
08:26because that's what we think, I think we need, to speak clearly.
08:31We are a superpower when it comes to research, to health tech,
08:35to new technologies, to research centers, to universities.
08:38We are in quantum computing, we are in key technologies.
08:41We are not a defense superpower because the European Union is a project for peace.
08:47So it makes sense that we need some time to ramp it up.
08:50From the European Investment Bank perspective, we're all in to support Europe
08:54to be stronger in the world.
08:56But also to contribute to a peaceful world, a multilateral framework
09:01that actually can continue to provide us with win-win partnerships
09:06based on respect, shared prosperity, stability.
09:10Because I think that that's, at the end of the day,
09:13what our children and grandchildren expect from us
09:15that are at the helm of important institutions at this historic moment for us.
09:20Paul, what do you think?
09:21What do you think is needed for this new form of European independence
09:25from your business perspective?
09:26I think it's a moment for us again.
09:30What the Secretary General just said about defense spending contribution to NATO,
09:34the President of the United States has done the same in healthcare spend
09:38in most of the European markets in the U.K.,
09:41demanding in the U.K. to go from 0.3% GDP to 0.6% over a period of time
09:47to pay for innovation in the countries.
09:51You know, that's a really remarkable intervention or challenge
09:55from the President of the United States.
09:56I've been in healthcare 35 years.
09:58I'm having different conversations with heads of state,
10:00ministers of health, ministers of finance,
10:02on what it takes to be the champion for the innovation.
10:05One of the things you've got to do is give patients in your country
10:08access to the best medicines in the world.
10:11You can't want the manufacturing, want the research, Euro,
10:15but then not give it to patients.
10:17And I think that's a real issue.
10:18A lot of people are still struggling to understand
10:20that 54% of medicines approved by the European Medicines Agency
10:25aren't available to patients in Europe,
10:27approved in Europe, for Europe, not available
10:30because money is not being made available
10:32because there are other priorities.
10:33And we don't ever belittle the trade-offs.
10:37Draghi was very clear.
10:39Everybody read the report.
10:41Everybody understood it.
10:43My conversations with the Commission
10:44have focused on fair play between member states
10:47and not enough on competing with China and the U.S.
10:51I think the U.S. is ready for the challenge
10:53because in the end, patients win with access to innovation.
10:56I think China is coming.
10:58China is going to launch 40% of the world's new medicines by 2030.
11:0440%.
11:05And we're not having that conversation.
11:07Europe has all of the skills and capabilities,
11:10if prioritized, to get it done and to compete,
11:14not just to play fair, but to compete in the rest of the world.
11:17I want to turn to Poland now.
11:20Mr. President, I'd like to ask you,
11:22we mentioned a little bit earlier,
11:23I mean, you know, the threat that is posed by Russia,
11:26its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
11:29You know this, of course, better than anyone
11:31being on the eastern flank there.
11:35Do you think, you know, in all of this talk,
11:37in all of this conversation over Greenland,
11:40is Ukraine the casualty here?
11:43Do we run that risk?
11:46Can you repeat?
11:47I don't understand.
11:48The conversation has been dominated in the past week and days.
11:52About Greenland.
11:53About Greenland.
11:53Okay.
11:54Where is the attention now on Ukraine?
11:57What could this potentially mean for Ukraine?
11:58What could it mean for the resources that they need so desperately
12:02in order to maintain this fight on the European continent?
12:06I think that Ukraine issue subject after the attack of Russian Federation
12:12is most important, not only for Poland and eastern flank of NATO,
12:17but for all three world.
12:19And I think that the problem around Greenland
12:23doesn't mean that we don't think about the Ukraine.
12:27We support Ukraine in Poland, in NATO, in European Union.
12:33United States of America supported Ukraine.
12:36And we have to consider this problem
12:40as the main problem in Europe nowadays.
12:45And I'm very happy that we are going, maybe slowly,
12:48but we are going to long-lasting peace in Ukraine.
12:53This must happen, I think.
12:56But I'm not afraid, Madam Kali,
12:58that the situation around Greenland
13:01means that we forget about Ukraine.
13:05We understand the problem about Ukraine
13:08and still feel the Russian threat.
13:11We are still in eastern central Europe
13:13under the Russian threat.
13:15And I think that we are in the middle of the hybrid war.
13:19This is the peculiar Soviet composition,
13:22which we have known for 100 years.
13:26You know, this is the composition of military force,
13:30information, disinformation, propaganda.
13:32And we are nowadays in the middle of hybrid war
13:36in the European Union.
13:38President Stubb, I'd like to ask you as well.
13:41The U.S. administration has made it very clear.
13:43We are in an era now of hard power.
13:45And they will wield it where they feel
13:49it is advantageous or necessary.
13:52You've said earlier that Europe can defend itself
13:56without the Americans.
13:58If it comes down...
14:00Not exact, Mike.
14:01That's not a quote.
14:04More or less.
14:05More or less.
14:07We'll go back to the transcript.
14:10More or less.
14:11More or less.
14:11I love journalists.
14:13Stoop.
14:14Stoop.
14:15Stoop against you.
14:16But if it comes down to it,
14:18if it comes down to it,
14:20given the dynamics that we have seen here,
14:23does Europe also need to have the potential
14:25to defend itself against America?
14:29No.
14:30I mean, come on.
14:30Let's not push the hypotheticals here.
14:32Let's get back to the reality of the situation.
14:36And let's put it back into perspective.
14:39And especially the war in Ukraine,
14:42which Carl there quite well mentioned.
14:44Look, what has Russia achieved
14:47in the past four years?
14:50It's acquired 20% of the territory of Ukraine
14:54through military warfare, roughly 2%.
14:58In the process of doing that,
15:00it has provided about 1 million casualties and dead.
15:06It has decreased its sphere of influence.
15:10You can see the Central Asian countries.
15:12You can see the Southern Caucasus
15:14detaching themselves from the Russian empire.
15:18You look at the Russian economy right now.
15:21If we go with the inflation rates
15:23of the two first weeks,
15:24we're looking at 30% inflation this year,
15:2716% interest rates,
15:30zero growth,
15:31no more reserves,
15:32incapacity to pay the soldiers
15:35when the war ends.
15:36So I'm more worried
15:38about Russia's unwillingness
15:40to end this war
15:41because they cannot afford to do so
15:44than about Russia's capability
15:46to win this war
15:47because,
15:48not end this war,
15:50because they're moving ahead.
15:51So let's keep things into perspective.
15:53NATO hasn't entered the scene yet
15:56and they have not been able to advance
15:58in the past four years
16:00as much as they expected.
16:01This war has been
16:02an utter strategic failure
16:04of President Putin.
16:06He increased the size of NATO.
16:09He made Ukraine European.
16:11He increased the defense budgets
16:13of European states.
16:15And here we are asking ourselves,
16:17shaking,
16:18are we able to defend ourselves?
16:19My answer is,
16:20yes, we are.
16:23Secretary General.
16:24Absolutely.
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