Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that the US has too much at stake in Europe to withdraw from the NATO defense alliance, and that the US's own strategic interests will determine its continued presence on the continent. This was reported by Bloomberg, according to UNN.
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Through military bases in Europe and due to the fact that all Nordic countries are part of the bloc, the US gains "proximity" to its main threat — Russian nuclear weapons, Stubb said at the Lithuania-Finland Business Forum in Vilnius on Friday.
"The bulk of these nuclear weapons are located on the Kola Peninsula and in Murmansk," he said, adding that this is only 100 kilometers from the Finnish border. "They are aimed at New York, Washington, and Los Angeles."
Stubb's comments come as the US abruptly canceled plans to send about 4,000 troops to Poland this week, according to sources familiar with the matter. This followed President Donald Trump's announcement that he would withdraw at least 5,000 troops from Germany, hinting at a broader reduction of the American military presence in Europe, which stands at about 85,000 personnel.
Trump has sharply criticized European NATO members for what he considers insufficient defense spending, and more recently, for a lack of support regarding his strike on Iran. He has also had disputes with Denmark over control of Greenland.
"This is a critical moment for NATO," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said at the same conference, calling for allied unity. "We must preserve this organization because it is the best military organization since who knows when — not just since World War II, but perhaps since the 14th century."
Stubb echoed his Baltic counterpart, saying: "There is a difference between rhetoric and reality."