Stubb said that Finland won the war with the USSR because it preserved its independence

Finland won the war with the Soviet Union because it preserved its independence, said the country's president Alexander Stubb. He expressed this opinion in an interview with The Economist.

Finland's leader was included in a meeting at the White House between US President Donald Trump, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and six other European leaders.

At the meeting, Stubb said: "We found a solution in 1944, and I am confident that we can find a solution in 2025 to end Russia's war of aggression and to find and achieve a lasting and just peace".

And in a recent interview with The Economist in Helsinki, the Finnish president spoke about the 1944 decision, which many perceive as a defeat, but "we still feel victorious because we have preserved our independence".

When Stalin first attacked in the Winter War of 1939-1940, Finland had been independent for only 21 years, having spent most of the nineteenth century as part of the Russian Empire and 600 years before that as part of Sweden.

The country was included in the secret Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, which divided Central and Eastern Europe between Germany and the Soviet Union. Finland was transferred to the USSR.

Finland's experience was mentioned from the very beginning of Russia's war against Ukraine – both as a model to be avoided and, perhaps, as a model to follow, journalists noted.

The peace imposed on Finland in 1944 can hardly be called fair. But it could have been worse. Finland ceded 10% of its territory, including Karelia and half of Lake Ladoga. Its army was limited, as was its ability to join NATO, journalists stated.

• Finnish armed forces believe that Russia could attack or resort to provocations on the border to test NATO's response three to five years after the end of the war in Ukraine.
• On September 2, the Finnish government submitted to the parliament a proposal to raise the maximum age for reservists to 65.