(MENAFN) Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has cautioned that the world is moving into “a new nuclear age,” with nuclear weapons assuming a more prominent role amid escalating global security challenges.

Speaking at the launch of Finland’s 254th National Defence Course in Helsinki, Stubb said that the country’s security environment has become “harsher than we would prefer,” largely because of Russia’s continuing war against Ukraine.

“The assessment of our security environment begins with Russia, its objectives and the means it employs to pursue these objectives," he said. "One of these means is war, and, indeed, Russia is now in its fourth year of war in Ukraine,” he added, emphasizing that Ukraine “is fighting not only for its own existence but also for the whole of Europe and democracy.”

The president highlighted that Finland’s support for Ukraine is both strategic and mutually beneficial, noting that “Ukraine has an unparalleled understanding of modern warfare, and we are learning a lot from them. Cooperation is a two-way street.”

While Stubb said Russia does not pose an immediate threat to Finland, he underscored the importance of sustained investment in deterrence and defense to prevent future dangers. He described the modern security landscape as one shaped by “multidimensional crises,” including hybrid warfare and threats to both physical and digital systems, as well as to what he called “mental infrastructure” — the resilience and cohesion of society.

“We have moved on to a new nuclear age where, unfortunately, the role that nuclear weapons play has been increasing,” Stubb warned.

He also addressed Finland’s relationship with the United States, saying military cooperation with Washington is “thriving,” though acknowledging that the US’s strategic attention “is turning partly elsewhere.”

Drawing lessons from history, Stubb compared Russia’s invasion of Ukraine to the armoured battles of the 1940s but said today’s conflict also includes advanced technologies such as autonomous weapons systems.

“Peace and freedom come at a price,” he concluded, pointing to Finland’s NATO membership, the purchase of 64 F-35 fighter jets, and higher defense spending as vital to protecting both national and regional security.

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