Finnish president: The only thing Putin understands is power

Finland's President-elect Alexander Stubb has said that the war with Ukraine is too important for Putin, so Kyiv needs continuous military support.

That's according to Yle, Ukrinform reports.

"This war is too big for Putin to fail, and that's what makes it quite problematic. The only thing that Putin understands is power. You show any weakness — any soft elements — and he will attack," Stubb said.

He said that support for Ukraine must be continuous, both economically and militarily, noting that arms deliveries are a current challenge.

Stubb, who served as foreign minister in 2008 when Russia invaded Georgia, suggested that Georgia was a minor issue for Vladimir Putin, while the war in Ukraine is not.

He also pointed out that Russia must be held accountable for the war in Ukraine and the death of Alexei Navalny. He, however, said it was difficult to say how accountability would be achieved.

"I personally hope that China would get involved. They now are in the driver's seat in the relationship with Russia," he said.

Asked by the press if the West had failed in backing Ukraine, Stubb said, "if the West had failed to support Ukraine, it would no longer exist."

The Finnish leader also said that he had received an invitation to Kyiv following a meeting with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky at the Munich Security Conference this weekend.

Photo: Ritzau Scanpix/Niels Christian Vilmann