Stubb in Berlin: “If the ally is North Korea, friends come from quite a distance”

President Alexander Stubb says that he would not interpret too much into Ukraine’s knowledge that North Korean troops are fighting in the ranks of the Russian army in Ukraine.

South Korean news agency Yonhap reported on Friday that North Korea would be sending up to 10,000 soldiers to Russia to train and possibly fight in Ukraine.

According to President Stubb, it would above all be a sign of Russia’s own diminishing resources to wage war. According to various estimates, Russia has lost tens, if not hundreds of thousands of men in the war.

“If the allies are Iran and North Korea, then the friends come from quite a distance and they are not necessarily terribly reliable,” said Stubb.

The president commented on the events in Ukraine during his meeting with the Finnish media in Berlin. The media meeting followed discussions by the German Chancellor Olaf Scholzin with.

When asked about Germany’s arms deliveries to Ukraine, Stubb said that he had spoken with Scholz, among other things, about the possibility of Germany supplying long-range Taurus missiles to Ukraine.

“Scholz was very careful about it,” Stubb said.

In addition, Stubb met the former Chancellor of Germany earlier in the day Angela Merkel. The president said that he talked with him about the “good old days” and about Merkel’s memoir, which will be published at the end of November.

Stubb said that Merkel also wanted to talk about Ukraine and Russia.

“His core thinking in foreign and security policy is that nothing is ever black and white,” Stubb described to the Finnish media.

In advance, Scholz said that he wanted to talk with Stubb not only about supporting Ukraine, but also about trade policy. Scholz mentioned, for example, the hydrogen pipelines running across the Baltic Sea as one topic of discussion.

At the press conference, Stubb did not give further details about the project.

Instead, he commented on the presidential election looming around the corner in the United States.

“Everyone is holding their breath and waiting for the election results.”

According to Stubb, regardless of who becomes the next president, it is clear that the United States wants to remain a great power. In addition, China remains a challenger to the United States. For both, the United States needs partners, Stubb described.

He added that another presidential candidate Donald Trump’s he does not believe for a second the threat to separate the United States from the military alliance NATO.

Stubb said earlier in the day that he hoped for more information about Scholz’s discussions with the sitting US president Joe Biden with. Biden visited Berlin on Friday.

At his invitation, the heads of Britain and France also visited Germany on the same day. According to media reports, the four discussed specifically how to ensure support for Ukraine in the long term.

President Stubb visited Germany for two days with his spouse By Suzanne Innes-Stubb with. Yesterday, Monday, the couple participated in the 25th anniversary of the Nordic embassies. President Stubb gave Finland’s festive speech at the party.

Apparently, the Finnish presidential couple had a good time in the company of the other honored guests of the day. The president of Iceland was there Halla TómasdóttirKing of Denmark Frederick X and the queen MaryCrown Princess of Sweden Victoria and the crown prince Daniel and the Crown Prince Couple of Norway Haakon and Mette-Maarit.

“Our chemistry works really well. The evening continued from the gala dinner to the Danish king’s hotel room,” Stubb admitted to the media with a smile.