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Crete Karvala
President of the Republic Alexander Stubb should redeem his election speech about strengthening the reserve, writes Kreeta Karvala.
The new president of the republic, Alexander Stubb, demanded on Friday that the Russian leadership must be held accountable for the murder of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Mia Siren
The 13th president of the Republic of Finland, Alexander Stubb, took office on Friday. The day was emotional, not least because at the same time in Russia the opposition leader murdered by the Kremlin regime was laid to rest Alexei Navalny.
Two symbolic events well describe the state of the world. A new era begins in Finland under the leadership of NATO President Stubbs, and President Sauli Niinistö, who led Finland’s foreign and security policy for 12 years, gets to retire.
In Russia, on the other hand, Navalny’s political murder is yet another example that human lives are of no importance to the country’s leadership. The autocratic president of Russia, Vladimir Putin, has been clearing opponents from his path without sparing any means for years. In addition, the country is waging a war of extermination in Ukraine, where dozens of civilians die every day in addition to soldiers.
Navalny’s fate is also intertwined with the presidents of Finland. President Niinistö, who emphasized diplomatic tact, once managed to get Navalny safe and cared for in Germany with his good relations, after an attempt had been made to kill him by poisoning in Russia. These days, nothing seems to be stopping Putin.
Now is the time for the President of the Republic, Alexander Stubb, to show his ability to secure Finland and Europe in a situation where there are no political relations with Russia.
President Stubb’s style of commenting on Russia cannot be described as subtle, as he directly accused the Russian leadership of Navalny’s murder at his press conference on Friday.
– The human spirit does not seem to have any meaning for the current leadership of Russia. A person can be killed without a shrug, Stubb directly criticized President Putin.
The new president of the republic also demanded that the Russian leadership must be held accountable for Navalny’s murder.
The fact that Stubb will make his first business trip just one week from now to NATO’s major war exercise, which is hosted by Norway, also speaks of the new era and the castle’s new owner.
A total of 20,000 soldiers from 14 NATO countries participate in NATO’s Nordic Response military exercise.
At the press conference, the President of the Republic, Stubb, emphasized NATO’s nuclear deterrence and strong Defense Forces as guarantors of Finland’s security.
The president also said that he has already started discussions in the committees to strengthen the reserve so that Finland has the ability to participate in NATO’s international operations.
As a presidential candidate, Stubb said in an interview with Iltalehti that a professional reserve of 5,000 soldiers should be established in Finland. It would form a new standby brigade that could be used both in Finland’s defense and in demanding NATO operations.
Stubb stated that the decision to establish a professional reserve could be made in connection with the report on foreign and security policy and defense policy. At the same time, the recruitment of soldiers and the conditions of service must also be taken care of.
NATO President Stubb’s active line is to be supported.
In order to maximize its own security, Finland needs to take an active role in NATO and participate in tough operations, as, for example, Estonia and Denmark have done. By acting like this, we buy help for Finland in advance, if there ever comes a time when we need help.
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