Sweden and Finland, NATO’s two newest members, have an important role to play in contributing to peace and toning down the rhetoric of war while nevertheless preparing for it, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said in Stockholm on Tuesday.

Stubb, who was on an official visit to Stockholm, used the opportunity to discuss defence issues, including the current Western war rhetoric, which he says has become rather aggressive of late.

“The best way to avoid war is to talk less and prepare more,” said Stubb.

“I think you feel the same way. It is understandable. Our screens are filled with wars in Europe and the Middle East. But he added that this rhetoric can easily disturb the younger generations’ sense of security and faith in the future”.

According to him, “Finland and Sweden have an important role to play in promoting peace”, saying that while “it sounds paradoxical”, it is “why we want a strong military and why we joined NATO”.

Both countries applied to join NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 but became full members at different times – April 2023 for Finland and March this year for Sweden. Stubb added that they are both members and share a common cause and destiny.

“It is impossible to overstate the importance that we were able to take this step together. Nor the value of keeping each other informed, day and night, at all levels. The situation was critical, and we acted accordingly,” he said, referring to Helsinki and Stockholm having applied to NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.

Stubb also pointed out that the two countries will now play a key role in NATO’s defence in the Baltic Sea, the Arctic and on the border with Russia, as Euractiv previously reported.

“Sweden and Finland’s accession to NATO provides an uninterrupted shield from the Baltic to the Black Sea and will further enhance defence planning and cooperation in the Nordic-Baltic region,” a NATO official previously told Euractiv.

(Charles Szumski | Euractiv.com)

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