Finnish president dismantles the idea Russia is winning war in Ukraine: ‘Utter strategic failure’

Finnish president Alexander Stubb has branded Russia’s war in Ukraine a “complete strategic failure for Vladimir Putin” in a scathing attack on the Russian leader.

Speaking at a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Mr Stubb said Putin’s war in Ukraine has only served to strengthen European integration, unity and defence investment.

“This war has become a complete strategic failure for Vladimir Putin,” Mr Stubb said. “He expanded Nato, he made Ukraine European, and he forced European states to increase their defence budgets. And now we are asking ourselves whether we are capable of defending ourselves. My answer is yes.”

Moscow has also sought to prevent the expansion of Nato, but the war has prompted previously neutral nations, including Sweden and Finland, to join - effectively doubling the size of Russia’s border with the western military alliance.

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“I think we are actually in the process of creating a stronger Nato than we have seen since the Cold War ended. This is effectively Nato 3.0,” he added.

The Finnish president added that Moscow has “decreased its sphere of influence”, stating that “countries in Central Asia and the South Caucasus” are now “distancing themselves from the so-called Russian empire”.

After almost four years of grinding warfare, Moscow’s forces have made only incremental gains on Ukrainian land at a cost of hundreds of thousands of dead Russian troops.

Mr Stubb claimed Russia has suffered around one million casualties, noting that its territorial advances in eastern Ukraine, since the first offensive, amount to only about 2 per cent of Ukrainian land.

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He also pointed towards struggles in the Russian economy, estimating that inflation could reach around 30 per cent this year. Interest rates remain at 15 per cent, economic growth has halted, and financial reserves have been depleted by the long war in Ukraine, he added.

“There is no growth, no reserves, and no ability to pay soldiers once the war is over,” Mr Stubb said, highlighting that Russian citizens are growing frustrated by economic issues at home, many of which are driven by the wartime economy.

Mr Stubb’s comments came ahead of a meeting between Putin and Donald Trump’s peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, on Thursday. The talks on peace in Ukraine will be the 7th such meeting between Mr Witkoff and Putin since Trump returned to office last January – but none appear to have made significant progress towards peace.

The Finnish president doubts that Moscow will approve the 20-point plan being worked on by Washington and Ukraine as part of agreements to end the war, emphasising that it is vital to continue strengthening support for Ukraine.