Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Tuesday that Ukraine has already won the war against Russia by preserving its independence, even as he warned NATO allies that Kyiv still urgently needs more air defense support.
Stubb Says Ukraine Has Already Defied Russia
Speaking to CNBC at the NATO Summit in Ankara, Turkey, Stubb said Ukraine’s survival after more than four years of Russia’s full-scale invasion had changed the basic measure of victory.
“Look at things from a Moscow perspective: In the past four years, during the active war, they have advanced 60 kilometers. In World War II, they went from Moscow to Berlin, that’s 1,400 kilometers. You have to ask yourself: ‘Who has won, who has lost?’ I say Ukraine has won,” Stubb said.
Stubb said Europe still has to increase its defense capacity. “Ukraine needs NATO, but NATO needs Ukraine as much as the other way around,” he added.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson struck a similar tone, saying, “Russia is certainly not winning the war against Ukraine right now, that’s quite obvious, Ukraine is having spectacular successes.” He added that Russia was not managing the war as it expected.
NATO Allies Face Defense Burden Shift
The remarks came as NATO leaders gathered in Turkey for a summit dominated by Ukraine’s future, Russia’s threat to Europe and the speed at which European allies can reduce reliance on the U.S.
The summit comes one year after NATO leaders agreed at The Hague to invest 5% of GDP annually in defense by 2035, replacing the older 2% benchmark with a broader spending commitment.
Stubb, whose country shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia, said European allies had heard Washington’s call to take more responsibility for defense in war, crisis, peacetime and planning. But he cautioned that Ukraine still needs more support, especially air defense.
Trump Sees Progress Despite Russian Strikes
The Nordic leaders’ comments reflect a major shift since Russia invaded Ukraine. Finland joined NATO in 2023, and Sweden followed in 2024, ending long traditions of military nonalignment. Both now say Russia’s behavior and not just U.S. pressure, is what’s driving Europe’s defense buildup.
According to Reuters, President Donald Trump said on Monday that a resolution to the war was “getting closer than people realize” after speaking with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, though he gave no specific reason for that optimism. Reuters also reported that Trump’s comments arrived after Russia hammered Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight with missiles and drones, killing at least 28 people.
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