Finnish President Alexander Stubb emphasized last night the need for Europe to increase its defense capabilities against Russia, saying that “the vacation is over“, reported Agence France-Presse.
“First of all, we must increase our defense spending. The vacation in history is over“, Stubb said in an interview with “Euronews“ about ensuring the security of the Old Continent.
Several underwater telecommunications and power cables have been damaged in the Baltic Sea in recent months. European leaders and experts suspect acts of “hybrid warfare“ led by Russia.
“Secondly, we must unite our defense forces more effectively. That's why we need to buy together to reduce costs," he added after a meeting of NATO leaders from the Baltic Sea region.
“And of course, the third thing is to work together with our closest ally - the United States“, Stubb stressed.
Donald Trump's return to the White House on January 20 has caused concern in Europe, after he had already said he would ask NATO countries to increase their defense budget to 5% of GDP and reiterated that some member states were not paying enough for the protection provided by the United States.
“There are very bad intentions coming from Russia at the moment and this is the new normal that we have to deal with,“ the Finnish president said, adding that his country was “used to it“.