The article gives insight about Stubb’s views on the shifting geopolitical landscape in Europe, with heightened focus on defense as a critical priority.

Stubb stated that the region’s “holiday from history is now over.” Speaking during Finland’s hosting of the first NATO/Baltic Sea summit, Stubb highlighted the growing threat of hybrid warfare, particularly from Russia, which has been accused of acts such as sabotaging undersea communication cables that transport over 95% of the world’s data. A recent example included Finnish authorities seizing an oil tanker suspected of damaging such cables on Christmas Day.

“There’s a lot of mal-intent coming from the Russian Federation at this particularly moment, and it’s the new normal that we have to live with,” Stubb said, adding that Finland is taking necessary measures including joining NATO and confiscating vessels.

“The secretary general of NATO is concerned about the whole alliance,” Stubb told Euronews. “As president of Finland, I’m concerned about the state of our defence,” he added.

NATO has pledged to deploy drones, frigates, and aircraft to bolster defenses. President Stubb, while confident in Finland’s readiness—supported by its military reserves of over 900,000 personnel—called for Europe to adopt a more proactive approach. He emphasized the importance of increasing defense budgets, pooling resources, and enhancing collaboration with the United States. Stubb expressed concern that Europe’s current stability might deteriorate within the next four to five years without decisive action.

Original story was published by Euronews on 14.01.2025 and can be found here.

Finnish Air Force to participate in Icelandic Air Policing for the first time

The Finnish Air Force’s participation in Icelandic Air Policing, for the first time as a NATO member, was covered in an article by The Aviationist on January 15. The article explains how the mission aims to enhance the security of Icelandic airspace, which lacks a national air force, through rotational deployments by NATO allies.

The Finnish Air Force will deploy four F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets to Keflavik Air Base in February 2025.  Finnish jets will be on Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty for three weeks, working closely with Icelandic Coast Guard and NATO’s Control and Reporting Center (CRC) at Keflavik.

This marks Finland’s third NATO operation since joining the alliance in 2023, following deployments to Lithuania during the NATO Summit and Romania for Enhanced Air Policing. Preparations include deploying aircraft, transporting materials, and supporting 50 personnel, with certification from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany, preceding the mission.

Icelandic Air Policing, formally known as Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to Meet Iceland’s Peacetime Preparedness Needs (ASIC-IPPN), has been operational since 2008, with periodic rotations of allied forces ensuring aerial security.

“Finland’s participation in the NATO Icelandic Air Policing mission will strengthen the Alliance’s presence in the High North. The deployment will be a concrete example of Nordic cooperation and the Finnish Air Force’s capability to carry out missions throughout NATO territory. The Norwegian and Danish Air Forces have regularly contributed to the Air Policing mission in Iceland, so this is a natural task for Finland as well. It is in line with Finland’s objectives that NATO has recognized the strategic importance of the High North,” the Commander of the Finnish Air Force, Major General Timo Herranen said.

Original story was published by The Aviationist on 15.01.2025 and can be found here.

$300,000 ‘wasted’ on shipping Tasmanian content to Finland for new Spirit ships

The scrutiny over Tasmanian government for spending over $300,000 (around €292,020) to transport local goods to Finland for the construction of the new Spirit of Tasmania ferries, was covered in an article by Pulse Tasmania on January 12. The article sheds light on the controversy around the construction of the ferries, questioning the capacity of Tasmanian government to deliver on critical infrastructure projects.

According to Right to Information (RTI) documents obtained by Labor, TT-Line, the operator of the ferries, paid $316,000 in freight costs to ship Tasmanian-made components to the Rauma shipyard in Finland, where the ferries are being built. However, the government has not disclosed the freight costs incurred by Rauma Marine Constructions (RMC), the shipbuilding company responsible for managing four times the amount of local content.

Deputy Labor leader Anita Dow criticized the Premier, Jeremy Rockliff, accusing his government of mishandling the project. She argued that the ferries could have been brought back to Tasmania for local fitting and accused the Liberals of wasting millions of taxpayer dollars. Dow referenced past criticism from the Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (TCCI) CEO Michael Bailey, who had expressed concerns about the government’s credibility in managing the Spirit replacement project.

“Enough is enough, it’s time for Premier Rockliff to bring our Spirits home, fit them out locally and stop forcing Tasmanians to pay for the incompetence of his government,” Dow said.

Minister Roger Jaensch defended the decision, stating that the shipped items included essential components such as windows and life jackets that needed to be installed during the construction process in Finland. Jaensch dismissed Labor’s accusations, suggesting they were exploiting the RTI documents for political gain.

Original story was published by Pulse Tasmania on 12.01.2025 and can be found here.

Time is not on Russia’s side, argues Finland’s foreign minister

Finland’s foreign minister, Elina Valtonen’s views on  Russia and the cracks in its war-driven economy were covered in an article by The Economist on January 8. The opinion piece by Valtonen calls for intensified economic pressure, including stricter enforcement of sanctions and measures to limit Russia’s ability to sidestep oil price caps through a shadow fleet.

Valtonen highlighted that Russia’s economic challenges are mounting. Inflation has surged, driven by rising import costs and labor shortages caused by a shrinking, aging population and an exodus of skilled talent. The war in Ukraine has exacerbated this decline, resulting in hundreds of thousands of casualties and further straining resources. The central bank’s response—raising interest rates to 21%—has spurred capital flight and hindered investment, while public-sector debt has ballooned, financed through domestic borrowing and effectively money printing.

Despite these pressures, Russia’s GDP grew by 3.5% in 2024, largely due to war-related industries, though growth is expected to stagnate in 2025. Military spending dominates the budget, crowding out other priorities and forcing the government to rely on domestic banks and the central bank for funding.

Valtonen stressed the need to strengthen existing sanctions, particularly targeting Russia’s shadow fleet—an unregulated network of aging tankers used to bypass EU and G7 oil price caps. Recent actions, including Finland’s seizure of a Russian-linked oil tanker suspected of damaging undersea infrastructure, exemplify efforts to curtail this fleet. European nations have agreed to demand proof of insurance from suspicious vessels and impose sanctions on non-compliant ships.

Original story was published by The Economist on 08.01.2025 and can be found here.

HT