Finnish President Alexander Stubb has urged European countries not to overreact to Russian threats and sabotage, telling Politico that Moscow aims to destabilize and scare Europe.
“Every time we overreact to a hybrid attack, they actually win the battle that way“, Stubb said in an interview given in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on September 21, 2026.
According to him, military escalation “is not in Russia's interest, nor in Russia's capacity“ to reach a full-scale confrontation. Stubb insisted that European countries must remain "vigilant and alert" without fueling exactly the kind of tension the Kremlin is looking for.
The Finnish president also criticized some of the warnings coming from intelligence agencies, which, as he said, "essentially say: 'Well, you're next'". According to him, this is an overreaction, because at the moment there is no evidence of an imminent military threat against Europe.
Stubb gave the example of Germany, which attributed responsibility for an attempted drone attack in Leipzig to Russia. "That's exactly what you need to do. You need to point the finger and say: we know what you're doing and these are the consequences," he said.
The statement comes amid growing concerns in Europe about Russian hybrid actions, including sabotage, drone incidents and attempts to intimidate Ukraine's allies. Stubb, however, insisted that the response should be measured and not give Moscow a symbolic victory.
Sources: Politico