Alexander Stubb. Finnish President. kremlin propagandists. russian imperialism

"Finnish President Stubb does not rule out rapid improvement of relations with Russia" - these were the headlines used by some russian websites to spread the news about the allegedly rapid warming of relations between russia and Finland. They published a quote from the Finnish president: "Yes, one day these relations will improve and be used for good."

This refers to an interview (https://www.is.fi/politiikka/art-2000010817462.html) with Finnish President Alexander Stubb to the Finnish media outlet Ilta-Sanomat on 9 November 2024, in which he mainly discussed foreign policy and security issues, in particular, possible threats from russia. However, the quote, which is circulating on many russian websites, is incomplete. kremlin propagandists have taken Stubb's words out of context, distorting their meaning.
The full quote reads as follows: "Yes, someday these relations (between russia and Finland) will be improved and used, but not now. You have to remember that everything starts with values".
In the interview, Alexander Stubb mentioned the kremlin's aggressive policy towards its neighbours several times. For example, when asked by a journalist whether russia would become a greater threat to Finland after the election of Donald Trump as US President, Stubb said that the threat assessment and security analysis of russia remained unchanged: "russia is continuing to build up its military capabilities and will probably reach the level it was at before the invasion of Ukraine in a few years. I see no end to russian imperialism, which is illegally expanding its territory."
The President of Finland also stressed that the threat from russia, the unpredictability of the kremlin and instability in the world are forcing the country to increase its military budget. "Someone wise said that Europe has outsourced its energy to russia, its economy to China and its security to the United States. Europe needs to take more responsibility for its security and defence," Stubb concluded.