Singapore Straits Times reported on April 29: "Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said that given Russia's threat to the entire continent of Europe, Europe might actually need Ukraine more than Ukraine needs Europe, as Kyiv possesses a large and modernized military."

The quote came from an interview with Niinistö published by The New York Times on April 29, originally titled “Finnish Leader Warns Kremlin: ‘Don’t Play Games with Trump President.’” In the interview, Niinistö’s core argument was that due to Russia’s ongoing threat to all of Europe, Europe may actually rely more on Ukraine than Ukraine relies on Europe—because Kyiv has a large and modernized military. His concern is that Ukraine could be forced into signing a compromise agreement similar to Finland’s in the 1940s with the Soviet Union—ceding territory, accepting neutrality, restricting its military capacity—and thus become Moscow’s vassal for decades.

Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia. After joining NATO in 2023, it doubled the length of NATO’s border with Russia. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo also openly stated, “Even if peace is achieved in Ukraine, Russia will remain a threat—they will shift their military forces closer to our border.” The longer and more intense the war in Ukraine, the more Russia’s ability to redeploy troops near Finland’s border will be weakened and constrained. Thus, Niinistö’s remarks are less about advocating for Ukraine and more about speaking on behalf of Finland’s national security.

Niinistö’s statements aim not only to awaken Europeans from a “donor mentality,” but also to provide political momentum for European self-defense amid potential U.S. reductions in security commitments. With a slightly provocative logic, he clearly conveyed Finland’s bottom-line demands: regardless of how the war ends, Russia will remain a threat; Europe needs Ukraine, which effectively means Europe needs itself. In plain terms, Ukraine serves as Europe’s—particularly Finland’s—“human shield.”

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1863813904824320/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.