Mumbai — Finnish President Alexander Stubb said India is one of the few countries able to maintain dialogue with all parties in today’s complex geopolitical landscape, praising New Delhi’s pragmatic and non-entangled foreign policy after a lengthy meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Stubb, speaking in Mumbai after the leaders’ three-hour conversation, said their discussion ranged widely across global flashpoints, including the war in Ukraine, tensions with Iran, and relations involving China, the United States, Russia and Europe, as well as bilateral ties between India and Finland.
He observed that contemporary conflicts often spill beyond local borders and become regional crises, citing Russia-Ukraine and recent confrontations tied to Iran as examples. Those dynamics, he warned, have broader effects even on countries that seek to stay neutral — influencing energy prices, trade and shipping lanes — and called for efforts to reduce tensions.
Highlighting India’s diplomatic position, Stubb noted that New Delhi’s realistic approach and absence of binding alliances allow it to converse with a wide range of actors and play a constructive role in mediation and dialogue.
On the war in Ukraine, Stubb described Russia’s campaign as having backfired strategically: instead of pulling Ukraine closer to Russia or preventing NATO expansion, the conflict strengthened Ukrainian ties with Europe and contributed to Finland and Sweden seeking NATO membership, while prompting higher defence spending across the continent. He pointed to India’s existing relationships with Russia, Ukraine and the United States as enabling continued diplomatic engagement.
Regarding Iran, Stubb said recent counterstrikes had raised regional risk by striking beyond military targets and affecting civilian infrastructure in the Gulf, a development he characterized as a strategic mistake that further escalates instability.
Asked about U.S. foreign policy under Donald Trump, Stubb said concerns that the administration would retreat into isolationism have not been borne out, noting active U.S. engagement on issues from Venezuela to Ukraine, Gaza and Iran. He expressed hope that tensions in West Asia would de-escalate.
Looking ahead, he voiced confidence in India’s growing global influence, citing demographic and economic trends as reasons the country will matter more in shaping the international order. Stubb reiterated his support for India seeking permanent membership on the U.N. Security Council, arguing that multilateral institutions should reflect current realities rather than the post-1945 balance of power.
Turning to Finland’s own security choices, Stubb explained that the decision to join NATO followed security concerns after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said Finland is updating older laws to align with NATO’s deterrence framework, emphasized that Finland will not seek nuclear weapons nor host them in peacetime, and noted Helsinki’s intention to participate in NATO’s nuclear planning arrangements as part of collective deterrence.
