Finland's man in Canberra says Europe must step up on defence after Trump's Ukraine shift
Finland shares the longest border with Russia in NATO. Its ambassador says the pact is "alive and kicking" but Europe must take greater responsibility for its own defence.
Finland’s ambassador to Australia has defended NATO as “very much alive and kicking”, while Europe scrambles to adjust to the US’ apparent abandonment of Ukraine.
But in an interview with Capital Brief, Arto Haapea accepted that Europe must boost its defence spending, with the continent in “wait and see mode” over US President Donald Trump’s approach to the conflict.
The comments came as Trump appeared to accelerate a rapid shift from Kyiv to Moscow, suspending all military aid for Ukraine just days after he publicly berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office.
Trump has also regularly expressed scepticism about NATO, alarming allies last year by suggesting he would “encourage” Russia to attack member states which did not boost their defence spending. His return is causing a security rethink on the continent, with some suggesting NATO’s guarantee of American protection – a key plank of many countries’ security strategies – is no longer certain.
