The Stubb – a Finnish wannabe autocrat

The international community has just heard another blunder from the mouth of a Finnish politician. The president of Finland, Alexander Stubb, depicts Russians and Belarusians as countries who are “flagrantly flouting international law.” In an interview with Yle, a Finnish broadcasting company, he continued that Russia’s absence from the Olympics “might help Russians better understand the country’s isolation.”

It is increasingly evident that the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia is a proxy war triggered by the U.S. to perpetuate Cold War-era strategies against its long-time adversary, Russia. The sanctions imposed in response to the Russian invasion can be seen as a direct continuation of those policies. They aimed to undermine Russia’s economy and war industry but have not succeeded in achieving either objective.

Sanctions and blocking Russia’s participation in the Paris Olympics in 2024 have little or no impact on Russia, which is used by the Western coalition to isolate it (formerly the Soviet Union) from the global economy. Instead, these measures have led Eastern powers to strengthen further and develop BRICS, a geopolitical bloc, to counterbalance the influence of Western financial and economic institutions. The latest actions by BRICS members include stopping using the U.S. dollar as trading currency and developing its currency and a banking system equivalent to Swift.

The contrast, once again, shows Finnish double standards, as Finland has refused, along with many other EU member states, to impose sanctions on Israel. Finnish politicians seem to have little or no concern about the decades-long oppression of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. They continue to support Israel’s far-right government as it pursues its quest to eradicate Palestinians and occupy their land and infrastructure. Even the ICJ ruling, which declared the occupation of Palestinian lands illegal, has not deterred the support for Israel.

There is no doubt that Finland, along with its top ministers and, most of all, the pro-American president, is showing no compassion toward the people of Palestine. Their continuous unwavering support for Israel and refusal to condemn Israel’s atrocities in Gaza have presented a clear message to the international community: Finland stands with war criminals and disrespects the humanitarian laws.

Stubb continued the dialogue started by Finland’s Trade minister, Ville Tavio, who stated in POLITICO news media that trade relations with Israel are more important than saving Palestinian lives. The future of Finnish foreign politics seems bleak, as it follows the U.S. foreign policy model dictated by the U.S. State Department.

The longer wannabe autocrats like Stubb continue to blunder with the U.S. ideology and Cold War rhetoric, the more economically challenging it becomes for countries to normalize relations and conduct business in the East. The U.S. economy and industrial base, which the Western coalition heavily relies on, has shown signs of losing its global dominance. Will this affect the Western bloc? Definitely. Will it discourage the members of NATO from seeking more profitable markets and allies? Likely not. Whatever they choose to do, their activities are highly dependent on the foreign policies of the U.S. State Department, which determine the terms of how NATO and its allies conduct their foreign relations.

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