Russia’s dependence on China has grown to such an extent that Beijing can end the war in Ukraine if it wants to. President of Finland Alexander Stubb Said.
“Russia is very dependent on China at the moment,” Stubb, 56, said in an interview in Helsinki on Tuesday. “A phone call from the president Xi Jinping This crisis will be resolved.”
Stubb’s comments reflect growing frustration among Ukraine’s allies over China’s alleged support for Russia’s war effort. They accuse Beijing of providing the Kremlin with technology and parts for weapons and helping Moscow evade international trade sanctions.
“If he said, ‘It’s time to start peace talks,’ Russia would be forced to do so,” Stubb said. “They would have no other choice.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday evening — it was outside regular working hours.
Xi has tried to portray China as a neutral actor in discussions on the war, with his government criticising Russia over attacks on civilians and threats to use nuclear weapons. China opposes international sanctions in principle, saying it only respects penalties backed by the United Nations, and has accused the US and its allies of fuelling the war by providing arms to Ukraine.
China accounted for about 28% of Russia’s total trade last year, down from 19% in 2021, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In contrast, the EU saw its share of Russian trade fall from 36% to 17% in that period.
Xi hosts Russian President Vladimir Putin He attended an event in Beijing on 16 May and called for an international conference involving both Russia and Ukraine to resolve the “Ukraine issue”.
“China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard,” Xi said.
Xi and Putin are expected to hold talks in Kazakhstan, where they are attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that begins in the capital, Astana, on Wednesday.
Finland’s new head of state was sworn in on March 1 and has previously held the posts of prime minister, finance minister and foreign minister in the country of 5.5 million. His predecessor Sauli Niinisto reached the constitutional term limit after 12 years in power.
Speaking at the 19th century gold-inlaid Presidential Palace – formerly the residence of Russian czars when Finland was part of their empire – Stubb said China would benefit from ending Putin’s “aggressive and colonial war” in Ukraine.
“It needs to safeguard international rules related to territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do. And it also shows China’s leadership.”
The EU’s most Russia-friendly leader, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, said on Tuesday he had told Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr ZelenskyThe President of Finland called on Russia to negotiate and demand a quick ceasefire.
“It is not possible to force a ceasefire at the moment; this requires real peace talks,” Stubb said. “Russia only understands power. So the more we can help Ukraine now, the faster we can end the war.”
Stubb also urged Europe to increase its support to Ukraine as well as build up its defence capabilities against both conventional military and Russia’s hybrid warfare. According to Stubb, Ukraine needs material support – including financial aid – and political support, including setting a path towards membership in both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
He said Europe needed to move towards a “wartime economy”, accumulating orders for ammunition and weapons so that their defence industry could have a long-term perspective. In addition to government funding, Stubb called on the European Investment Bank to move beyond its red lines and start being more “hawkish” in funding the military industry.
The president said Europe also needs to develop a strategy to counter hybrid attacks, including plans to turn systems back on after attacks and streamlining communications to form a united front against the Kremlin.
Cyberattacks, GPS jamming, airspace violations and armed immigration are just some of the forms of Russian hybrid warfare that Finland has faced over the past few months, along with other eastern NATO countries.
“Russia is trying to force us to overreact or respond differently through hybrid attacks,” Stubb said. Holding hybrid operations accountable could also help put an end to them, he said.
“If you deny it or keep it secret I think Russia will continue to do it.”
With a border more than 1,300 kilometres (800 mi) long, Finland defends half of NATO’s borders against its main rival, and has a tense history of coexistence with Russia.
After gaining independence in 1917 after more than 100 years as a grand duchy of the Russian Empire, the Finns fought two wars with the Soviet Union, ceding parts of their territory in 1944. Then during the Cold War Finland quietly navigated an era of neutrality — by necessity, not choice — remaining subservient to Moscow while maintaining independence in a policy known as Finlandization.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Nordic country immediately sought EU entry after Sweden, and both joined the EU in 1995. Until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finnish policymakers never identified Russia – at least publicly – as a primary military threat. In April 2023, Finland joined NATO.
Prepared to defend its existence, this Nordic nation is always on alert. It is capable of deploying 280,000 troops in times of war and has one of the strongest artillery in Europe.
“Finland is one of the most important countries in Europe right now, geopolitically and geostrategically, because we’ve doubled our NATO border with Russia,” Stubb said. “A lot of people trust us.”
“Russia is very dependent on China at the moment,” Stubb, 56, said in an interview in Helsinki on Tuesday. “A phone call from the president Xi Jinping This crisis will be resolved.”
Stubb’s comments reflect growing frustration among Ukraine’s allies over China’s alleged support for Russia’s war effort. They accuse Beijing of providing the Kremlin with technology and parts for weapons and helping Moscow evade international trade sanctions.
“If he said, ‘It’s time to start peace talks,’ Russia would be forced to do so,” Stubb said. “They would have no other choice.”
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday evening — it was outside regular working hours.
Xi has tried to portray China as a neutral actor in discussions on the war, with his government criticising Russia over attacks on civilians and threats to use nuclear weapons. China opposes international sanctions in principle, saying it only respects penalties backed by the United Nations, and has accused the US and its allies of fuelling the war by providing arms to Ukraine.
China accounted for about 28% of Russia’s total trade last year, down from 19% in 2021, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In contrast, the EU saw its share of Russian trade fall from 36% to 17% in that period.
Xi hosts Russian President Vladimir Putin He attended an event in Beijing on 16 May and called for an international conference involving both Russia and Ukraine to resolve the “Ukraine issue”.
“China is willing to play a constructive role in this regard,” Xi said.
Xi and Putin are expected to hold talks in Kazakhstan, where they are attending a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that begins in the capital, Astana, on Wednesday.
Finland’s new head of state was sworn in on March 1 and has previously held the posts of prime minister, finance minister and foreign minister in the country of 5.5 million. His predecessor Sauli Niinisto reached the constitutional term limit after 12 years in power.
Speaking at the 19th century gold-inlaid Presidential Palace – formerly the residence of Russian czars when Finland was part of their empire – Stubb said China would benefit from ending Putin’s “aggressive and colonial war” in Ukraine.
“It needs to safeguard international rules related to territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do. And it also shows China’s leadership.”
The EU’s most Russia-friendly leader, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, said on Tuesday he had told Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr ZelenskyThe President of Finland called on Russia to negotiate and demand a quick ceasefire.
“It is not possible to force a ceasefire at the moment; this requires real peace talks,” Stubb said. “Russia only understands power. So the more we can help Ukraine now, the faster we can end the war.”
Stubb also urged Europe to increase its support to Ukraine as well as build up its defence capabilities against both conventional military and Russia’s hybrid warfare. According to Stubb, Ukraine needs material support – including financial aid – and political support, including setting a path towards membership in both the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
He said Europe needed to move towards a “wartime economy”, accumulating orders for ammunition and weapons so that their defence industry could have a long-term perspective. In addition to government funding, Stubb called on the European Investment Bank to move beyond its red lines and start being more “hawkish” in funding the military industry.
The president said Europe also needs to develop a strategy to counter hybrid attacks, including plans to turn systems back on after attacks and streamlining communications to form a united front against the Kremlin.
Cyberattacks, GPS jamming, airspace violations and armed immigration are just some of the forms of Russian hybrid warfare that Finland has faced over the past few months, along with other eastern NATO countries.
“Russia is trying to force us to overreact or respond differently through hybrid attacks,” Stubb said. Holding hybrid operations accountable could also help put an end to them, he said.
“If you deny it or keep it secret I think Russia will continue to do it.”
With a border more than 1,300 kilometres (800 mi) long, Finland defends half of NATO’s borders against its main rival, and has a tense history of coexistence with Russia.
After gaining independence in 1917 after more than 100 years as a grand duchy of the Russian Empire, the Finns fought two wars with the Soviet Union, ceding parts of their territory in 1944. Then during the Cold War Finland quietly navigated an era of neutrality — by necessity, not choice — remaining subservient to Moscow while maintaining independence in a policy known as Finlandization.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Nordic country immediately sought EU entry after Sweden, and both joined the EU in 1995. Until Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finnish policymakers never identified Russia – at least publicly – as a primary military threat. In April 2023, Finland joined NATO.
Prepared to defend its existence, this Nordic nation is always on alert. It is capable of deploying 280,000 troops in times of war and has one of the strongest artillery in Europe.
“Finland is one of the most important countries in Europe right now, geopolitically and geostrategically, because we’ve doubled our NATO border with Russia,” Stubb said. “A lot of people trust us.”
