Burak Bir
16 February 2025•Update: 16 February 2025
- 'We see that if you're giving strong military assistance to Ukraine, we are getting Ukraine's position to negotiate much more better,' says Antti Hakkanen
MUNICH
Hybrid attacks that are taking place across Europe, including cable cuts in the Baltic Sea, are a serious and common challenge not just regionally but "for all of us," said the Finnish defense minister.
In an interview with Anadolu, Antti Hakkanen said that they are getting "stronger tools" to counter threats like hybrid attacks, with the NATO allies and in the European Union.
"All the countries from USA and Europe and also the Asian partners are knowing that there's a hybrid attacks all around the globe," he said.
"So that's why this is a common challenge for all of us," Hakkanen said on the sidelines of the three-day Munich Security Conference, which ends Sunday.
The Baltic Sea – which Finland has a coast on – has been the location of several high-profile infrastructure incidents since the start of Russia's war on Ukraine in February 2022, which heightened tensions in the region.
European officials have suggested that sabotage could be behind the disruptions, potentially linked to Russia’s ongoing war on Ukraine. But the Kremlin has rejected the claims, calling them "absurd."
On Ukraine, the top issue at the conference, Hakkanen said that they are supporting Ukraine strongly and could "even make this support stronger now."
"Because we see that if you're giving strong military assistance to Ukraine, we are getting Ukraine's position to negotiate much more better," he explained, looking ahead to possible peace talks.
Hakkanen called on countries to increase military support in next six months, effectively telling Ukraine "we are with you for short term and long term that will give the good position in the negotiations."
"I hope that the US is also doing the same," he said, amid signs from the Trump administration that support for Kyiv will be conditional at best.
Its Asked whether European allies convinced US Vice President JD Vance to continue military support to Ukraine, Hakkanen stated that all the supporting countries continue to provide support to Ukraine.
"So the support is flowing. There's no kind of a big problem now," he said.
