Paul Ronzheimer

Young people are dying.

All this has to be stopped." And according to the President of Finland, Alexander Stubb, speaking to journalist Paul Ronzheimer in late August, Russia is also under pressure from China.

By Stubb's telling, China has been very clear with Russia that Moscow is simply not allowed to escalate to the use of nuclear weapons, one of the few tools left at Russia's disposal to really shift the balance of this war on the frontlines.

Taken together, pressure from India, China, and a key member of the ex-Soviet bloc may suggest to Putin that the patience of his critical allies is running out.

But speaking of China, Finnish President Alexander Stubb has said that China will stop Russia going nuclear if the occasion arises.

Speaking exclusively to Paul Ronzheimer, who's part of the Axel Springer Global Reporters network, Stubb said, "I had the foreign minister of China visiting me this summer, and I raised the issue, and he said, 'We will never allow it to happen,' and I think that's a pretty good deterrent."

Mm, strong words.

Yeah.

So China remains one of Moscow's most important economic and diplomatic partners, but Stubb seems very confident that they would put the brakes on if Putin was going to activate his nuclear arsenal.

Now, in the interview on the Ronzheimer podcast, which we'll put a link to in the show notes, he also said that fixating on a nuclear attack or an attack on NATO soil is really playing into Russia's hands.

He said Russia wants Europeans to sit here and discuss, will Russia escalate? Will Russia use nuclear weapons? Will Russia attack NATO and Europe? Recommending instead that leaders use a stay calm, stay cool, stay collected, stay vigilant approach instead.

But with hybrid warfare in mind, a little follow-up on the Leipzig drone incident.