‘China is watching’: Finland warns defeating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine key to stability in Indo-Pacific | Ukraine
Defeating Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is critical to reining in China in the Indo-Pacific, Finland’s defense minister said, warning that democratic partners including Europe and Australia face a challenge with global ramifications.
Antti Häkkänen praised Donald Trump’s decision to impose sanctions on two Russian oil companies last week, calling the move an important sign of the US president’s determination against Vladimir Putin’s three-year war.
In an interview with Guardian Australia at the defense ministry in Helsinki, Häkkänen said the West’s determination to oppose Russia’s aggression would be closely scrutinized.
“China is watching. Does the West have the strength and resilience when autocrats and dictators think they can fight another year and democratic countries are fed up?
“No. We have to show even stronger support against violence. This is not just for Ukraine. This is a signal against violence, against war, and this is also a signal for China and the Indo-Pacific region.”
He said ending the Ukraine conflict requires a three-pillar approach: tougher sanctions on Russia’s economy and energy exports; stronger military aid to Ukraine; and the use of long-range weapons to destroy drones and missile factories.
But Trump resisted pressure to allow Ukraine to use American Tomahawk cruise missiles to hit targets deep inside Russia. Despite lobbying from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and calls for long-range capabilities from British prime minister Keir Starmer on Friday, Trump argued that the weapons were too complex and required years of training.
Häkkänen said any weakness in resolve would embolden China.
“If there is some kind of military conflict in the Indo-Pacific region caused by China, Russia will be involved in some way, either by supporting China or something like that,” he said.
“We now see that Russia cannot continue this kind of war with its own resources, but China helps them a lot. They give a lot of money from energy exports to support their economy, they provide them with a lot of military components and industrial cooperation.”
Finland has more than 1,300 km of land border with Russia and sees Putin as a persistent threat to European security. The country joined the NATO alliance in 2023, and its president, Alexander Stubb, has established close ties with Trump.
Häkkänen said Chinese President Xi Jinping should take into account the determination shown by the global democratic alliance, including the “coalition of the willing” of which Australia is a member.
China considers Taiwan part of its territory, and foreign policy experts believe Beijing is aiming to make a military move against its independence as early as 2027, amid increased military activity in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
While Häkkänen criticized countries not doing their part regarding Ukraine, he said he was optimistic about possible peace.
“European countries have taken really good steps to support Ukraine in the last month and have invested heavily in our own defense.”
Cooperation in war could have wider implications for Australia’s trade ties with Europe.
Finland is seeking to expand defense industry and space ties with Australia. Pasi Rajala, political secretary of state for foreign affairs, visited Australia and New Zealand in recent months.
Meeting with defense minister Richard Marles, Häkkänen said Australia had played a “tremendous” role as one of the largest non-NATO donors supporting Ukraine.
“It’s a big political message in Europe where Australia is part of the support,” he said. “This will send the signal that if Australia faces some security or defense challenges, Europe knows that we need to be in the same family.”
