Finland’s PM Sanna Marin Says Europe Is ‘not Strong Enough’ To Stand Against Russia

Europe is “not strong enough” to stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on its own and has to depend on United States’ support, said the Finnish PM.

Europe is “not strong enough” to stand against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on its own and has to depend on United States’ support, stated Finland PM Sanna Marin during her visit to Australia. Further, she said that Europe’s defenses should be strengthened. 

She said, “I must be brutally honest with you, Europe isn’t strong enough right now. We would be in trouble without the United States,” reported BBC

The US has been the largest provider of defense assistance to Ukraine. Since the start of the war and the Russian invasion in February, the US has sanctioned $18.6 billion to help as per the last month’s research briefing by the UK’s House of Commons. And then comes the European Union which is considered the second largest in terms of military support to Ukraine in the Russia-Ukraine war, further, followed by the UK, said Kiel Institute for the World Economy. However, these contributions are believed to be small when compared with the US’s contribution, reported BBC. 

Finland PM Sanna Marin’s statement 

While talking about the depleting military stockpiles of European countries as they supply Ukraine, Sanna Marin said that there is more need to be done to strengthen the European defenses. Addressing at the Lowy Institute think tank in Sydney on December 2 she said  “The United States has given a lot of weapons, a lot of financial aid, a lot of humanitarian aid to Ukraine, and Europe isn’t strong enough yet.” Further, she added that when it comes to European defense and the European defense industry, they should make sure that they are building their capabilities. She criticized some of the European countries that have made attempts to build closer ties with Russia in recent decades. 

PM Marin said, “For a long time, Europe was building a strategy for Russia… to buy energy from Russia and to closen those economic ties, and we thought that this would prevent the war,” reported BBC.

Further, she said that the EU countries should have listened to countries like Poland and the Baltics who warned that Russia has no interest in the economic ties or the sanctions and that Russia doesn’t care about any of that at the time of Ukraine’s Invasion by Russia. Countries associated with NATO and the EU have pledged to increase defense assistance to Ukraine at the start of the war. However, countries failed to provide the same. On the other hand, so many sanctions have been imposed by the EU and the US with the aim of limiting resources for Russia.