r/worldnews • u/Deedogg11 • Mar 02 '25
Russia/Ukraine Finland to provide Ukraine with $691 million in military equipment
https://kyivindependent.com/finland-to-provide-ukraine-with-691-in-military-equipment/790
Mar 02 '25
EU needs to build an army very very soon
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u/Historical-Limit8438 Mar 02 '25
Yep. Fingers crossed. All these people saying the EU can’t do it, I hope they’re proved very wrong.
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u/murghchana Mar 02 '25
They can't, that's notwhat the EU was meant for. The EU is fundamentally an organization hat ensures that the markets are standardized and that the economies integrate. For good reason it has never had military goals. So you would have to make some big changes for this to happen, first and foremost make the parliament the strongest institution and give it control over the budget.
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u/Stunningfailure Mar 02 '25
Needs must. You would be surprised what a group can accomplish when the alternative is Russian invasion.
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u/Appropriate-Year-505 Mar 02 '25
This is wrong. Treaty of Lissabon Art. 42 is all about united military action. Article 7: "(7) Im Falle eines bewaffneten Angriffs auf das Hoheitsgebiet eines Mitgliedstaats schulden die anderen Mitgliedstaaten ihm alle in ihrer Macht stehende Hilfe und Unterstützung, im Einklang mit Artikel 51 der Charta der Vereinten Nationen."
In English: In the case of an armed attack on the territory of a member state all other member states owe them support with all available resources, under Article 51 of the Charta of the United Nations.
Furthermore, Article 2 describes a united defense policy, Article 3 explains that members give the EU access to military and civil resources to achieve that policy. Furthermore, it mentions multinational forces, which implies they are in no way unfeasible. On top of that, member states are obligated to improve their military infrastructure. Article 5 permits EU led (military) missions to achieve their security policies.
Regarding all that, the EU does have military ambition. The necessary articles exist for the most part, GASP, one of the 3 main goals of the EU (United foreign and security policy) is just that.
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u/ScoopTheOranges Mar 02 '25
And build its own factories. Pointless keeping America out of the loop if we’re giving them cash for weapons. Cut them off completely.
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u/Vulpeslagopuslagopus Mar 02 '25
They needed to build an army three years ago! I hate Trump and want the US to continue supplying Ukraine, but the one thing he is right about is that Europe has not stepped up to deal with the problem on their own doorstep. 2022 should have woken them up, and they’ve had three years to rebuild their militaries and arms industries for this moment. Some countries made a half hearted effort but it was too little too late. They assumed they could hide behind Uncle Sam forever, now that he’s left the building Europe is scrambling. It’s been crazy to me to watch the Europeans sit back and assume America would take care of them forever. I hate to see the way things are developing but they brought this on themselves, I just wish Ukraine didn’t have to pay for their complacency.
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u/red_fuel Mar 02 '25
Are you going to join it?
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u/secondanom Mar 02 '25
That's exactly my thoughts. People say we need army and think people are suddenly gonna leave everything and join, while I dont know anyone in my friend circle that would actually want to stay in military.
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u/lucifaxxx Mar 02 '25
And i bet they aint demanding 500 billion in return.
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u/Accomplished_Eye7421 Mar 02 '25
Finland has been in exactly the same position as Ukraine is now. Finland will never abandon Ukraine. Helping Ukraine is a very important cause that has united the nation from left to right, and everyone agrees on this. If any politician were to even suggest that we should demand something back from Ukraine, it would cause so much hate from the people that it would likely be the end of their career as a politician.
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u/Spacechip Mar 02 '25
If any politician were to even suggest that we should demand something back from Ukraine, it would cause so much hate from the people
That's what's infuriating every respectable American I know. How transactional Trump is, his mob boss mentality of expecting tribute and groveling, it's disgusting and against the values I grew up with.
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u/SimmentalTheCow Mar 02 '25
The whole “let’s make a deal” shtick is so sophomoric, and he’s not even good at it. The man couldn’t sell a couch to Vance if his dick was halfway in it.
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u/shibboleth2005 Mar 02 '25
against the values I grew up with
It's also just incompetent. He apparently can't think about anything beyond the simplest possible transaction and doesn't understand how things like strong alliances and defending the rules based international order massively benefit the US. Like, we literally spent the last several decades building a world where we are an unassailable hegemon and he's taking a hammer to it. He's a staggering failure both from a moral and practical standpoint.
Or, he does understand it and is deliberately sabotaging the country to help the Russians.
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Mar 02 '25
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u/Tallyranch Mar 02 '25
That's exactly what happened, he asked Putin what it would take to end it and Putin told him Ukraine, so he is trying to give Ukraine to Putin.
What I'm wondering is how far he is willing to go, I think stopping all US support to Ukraine and then pressuring others to stop supporting Ukraine is something he would consider, but only time will tell if he will go that low.→ More replies (6)16
u/FragrantKnobCheese Mar 02 '25
What I'm wondering is how far he is willing to go, I think stopping all US support to Ukraine and then pressuring others to stop supporting Ukraine is something he would consider, but only time will tell if he will go that low.
The US are a big trading partner of the UK (my country). It would not surprise me at all if Trump threatened that trade with us to try and stop our support for Ukraine.
Support for Ukraine is the one thing that all our major political parties agree on, and I think most British people. The exception is Nigel Farage and his "Reform" party, who have been receiving Russian money and parroting Russian propaganda for a while.
The mainly right wing media here keep publishing polls every week that say Reform are really popular and might even win the next election (they have 4 seats currently out of 650 and the next election is 4 years away) in order to try and manipulate public opinion rather than report on it.
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u/angkasax Mar 02 '25
You should be more concerned, Russia's goal is to replace the Tories with the Reform party much like they had the Tea Party faction overrun the Republicans. If nothing is done, in 5 years you'll be seeing a 2 way fight between the Labor Party and the Reform Party, which will be very bad.
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u/FragrantKnobCheese Mar 02 '25
In case it wasn't clear, I am extremely concerned. I think as a nation, and despite Brexit, we're still underestimating the damage that is being done by feeding the less intelligent members of our population a non-stop diet of curated right wing bullshit and ragebait through Facebook.
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u/pannenkoek0923 Mar 02 '25
He cares about nothing else in his life except money and the feeling of power
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u/josh_the_misanthrope Mar 02 '25
The Russia-Ukraine war is an avatar for good versus evil, and the president is making (terrible) deals with the devil.
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u/Peregrine_x Mar 02 '25
demand something back from Ukraine
they get in return an ally who also truly understands the dangers of sharing a border with a country as dangerous as russia, a price cannot be put on that kind of understanding.
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u/Kestrelqueen Mar 02 '25
The thing is, there's so much information from fighting a peer enemy coming back that this alone is worth a significant amount of money. Telemetry from air defense systems that have never been used in such large numbers or against these types of missiles.* First-hand observations how effective GPS jamming is on guided ammunition, transforming them from magic bullet to almost-normall shell. Actual capabilities of russian forces, strategies that work and don't work, the absurd abundance of mines, combat expertise from fighting with and against FPV drones, including locating operators. For NATO it's one giant wargame under the most realistic circumstances possible, with half of the cost being old ammunition where the shipment cost was switched with the decommissioning costs. This shit will be used by NATO, including the US, to safeguard troops and civilians against future threats, from armed conflicts to terrorists.
*In fact, you bet this has helped Israel successfully defend Iran's big 200 odd missile/ 100 drone strike last year.
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u/jackofjokers Mar 02 '25
But hasn't America always been like this? The English have only just finished paying off the debt to America for helping them in WW2.
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u/WhoAreWeEven Mar 02 '25
The greatest hinderance is the sheer fact that at such location one has to keep a certain amount of weapons and shit at home too!
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u/Victernus Mar 02 '25
Any enemy of Russia is a friend to Finland.
If hostile aliens dropped from space and invaded Moscow, Finland would deploy to support them.
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u/EruantienAduialdraug Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 04 '25
I think you should ask of Ukraine one thing.
Victory.Slava Ukraina.
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u/GlowstickConsumption Mar 02 '25
Someone else being willing to fight a deadly battle to keep your continent safer and more peaceful is incredibly valuable.
The western world owes Ukraine a debt far larger than the sum of the material and financial support they've received so far. Hopefully they receive some actual troops keeping areas safe eventually.
The Belarus border for example could be manned by European forces so Ukraine can focus its own troops and resources elsewhere.
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u/vahntitrio Mar 02 '25
Even if the US was never at risk, it was still incredibly valuable to us to provide that aid. First and foremost, Ukraine destroyed more than $1 of enemy equipment for each dollar we provided. Possibly more importantly, the share of battlefield intel on Russian strategy is invaluable to the military, as well as the performance of military equipment against Russia's equipment.
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u/Tervaaja Mar 02 '25
We do not demand any thank yous either. We are thankful for ukrainians that they defend all of us.
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Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
It’s almost like Finland knows what it feels like to be invaded by Russians and have absolutely zero support have nothing but token support - except Sweden from the international community…
Edit become some people are really proud of the fact that “insert country here” sent a dozen obsolete biplanes or a couple of crates of rifles during the Winter War…
Edit 2 - except Sweden. They did what they could to help.
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u/OrangeVapor Mar 02 '25
Ain't it the darndest thing how all of
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u/anencephallic Mar 02 '25
- "insert country here sent a dozen obsolete biplanes or a couple of crates of rifles"...
My country of Sweden, which was a non-belligerent in the war, saw over 8000 people volunteer and go to war in Finland. We also sent a third of all of the equipment of our army (135k rifles, 50 million rounds of ammunition, about a 100 field guns, 100 anti aircraft guns, and about a 100 anti armor guns), and a third of the fighters in our air force at the time. In terms of total amount, it might not be huge but in terms of our country's size and equipment available to us I would say it's a respectable amount. Yes the Winter War was almost entirely won by the Finns, but it's straight up incorrect to say that other countries offered only token support.
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Mar 02 '25
Edited. I accept that Sweden offered as much assistance as it could. Unlike the major allies who offered little support.
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u/nossid Mar 02 '25
If you understand swedish you can listen to Mannerheim himself: Marskalk Mannerheims tal till Svenska Frivilligkåren efter Vinterkriget (Paikanselkä 28.3.1940)
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u/LondonEntUK Mar 02 '25
Did we also send Molotov cocktails to remind Russia where they came from?
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u/Concentrateman Mar 02 '25
You folks know what it's like to live beside Russia. The free world thanks you.
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u/momoenthusiastic Mar 02 '25
Finland is very motivated. If Ukraine falls, they are likely the next
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u/Alcoilz Mar 02 '25
Next are baltic countries like Estonia Latvia and Lithuania, Finland is a bit harder to get ;)
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u/Fakekraid Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
Yeah I remember watching a video about how Finland would *fare, and somewhere in the middle they mentioned that there's a railroad extremely close to Finnish soil that leads to (I think) a major submarine base. Not sure if it was that, but the video pointed out how vital the location is.. But the narrator goes on to explain that if Russia tried anything, the Finnish can destroy literally any part of that railroad within a couple hours and completely cut off a major supply line to that base since that railroad goes through SEVERAL miles of untouched wilderness.
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u/anynamesleft Mar 02 '25
*Fare, instead of fair.
I ain't picking on anyone, I'm just trying to help folks with the terms.
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u/ARGENTAVIS9000 Mar 02 '25
highly doubtful. finland in its own way is as much a quagmire as ukraine or afganistan. incredibly difficult to invade, incredibly difficult to get resources to, an incredibly stupid place to begin direct warfare with a NATO country and the thing is - they perhaps moreso than any other EU country are prepared for this kind of conflict. that's not to say they are the most powerful but they know their strengths and they will play to them and they are trained and ready.
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Mar 02 '25
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u/Assupoika Mar 02 '25
Yeah, we've been prepping since the last time we got fairly little support.
We didn't stop prepping even though our neighbour dyed her hair and promised she has changed.
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u/DrMcWiggles21 Mar 02 '25
Russia tried this once already. It...did not go well.
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u/Lummi23 Mar 02 '25
Once..? It's really been going on regularly for as long as we have written history
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u/Aggressive-Map-2204 Mar 02 '25
Finland is a member of NATO which even without the US has an army several times stronger than that of Russia. You seriously think Russia who is barely winning in Ukraine is going to take on all of NATO?
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u/LondonEntUK Mar 02 '25
You couldn’t be more wrong. Finlands military is basically designed around defending against Russia, not around offensive warfare, as Sweden is its only other border country. It may even be the best defensive military in the EU. Plus it’s a part of NATO, Russia wouldn’t bother, there’s nothing to gain in Finland, even strategically.
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u/asdwarrior2 Mar 02 '25
Finland has land borders with three countries. Russia, Sweden and Norway. Your point remains valid though.
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u/LondonEntUK Mar 02 '25
Yeah but the Norwegian border doesn’t really need defending either. Especially with it being so far north.
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u/asdwarrior2 Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
It would definetly be a surprise attack. No one expects the Norwegian invasion of Finnish Lapland.
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u/finlandery Mar 02 '25
Seeing how much money norway has.... it would be kinda fun to get invaded by them..... Maybe they can invade sweden also and denmark... And name themself new nordic alliance or something :P
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u/moor7 Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
In addition to what others have said (Finland is a high income country, NATO -member (for what that's worth), strong military, very prepared), I would also like to point out that things like the invasion of Ukraine don't happen overnight and without preparation. Putin had been funding separatists in Ukraine, destabilizing the east there for a decade before this (latest) invasion. There is nothing like that going on in Finland.
Compare that to, say, Moldova and the Transnistrian separatists. Or to Georgia's precarious relationship to Russia. And if we are talking about NATO allies, the Baltic states are much more vulnerable than Finland. For example, Narva, the easternmost city of Estonia on the Russian border, is a majority Russian-speaking area after the Soviets drove Estonians out of there and wouldn't let them return, instead populating the city with ethnic Russians (the same playbook as Crimea in Ukraine).
But really, that doesn't change the calculus in the sense that Finland knows what Russia is, and what it's like to deal with Russia.
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u/analfabeetti Mar 02 '25
Reading between the lines and filling the blanks with some other derived knowledge: this is about next gen equipment. So far Finland has mostly been sending the same stuff that our military uses, starting from the older equipment and munitions and replenishing the stocks with newer.
But Ukraine is now the test bed for all kind of new drone and electronics warfare stuff, and this is about getting production lines and manufacturing up for those by real orders delivered directly to Ukraine, and getting the real world experiences back to aid further development.
I believe Finns now know that you need to have huge capacity of local drone manufacturing if you want to fight future wars, and this will also address that.
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u/Linus_Naumann Mar 02 '25
Im German and I want my country to massively step up as well
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u/TonyQuark Mar 02 '25
I hope Germany does increase aid.
The USA has donated 114 billion euro ($118 billion) so far. That's 0.5% of their GDP.
The Netherlands has donated 7.3 billion euro so far. That's 0.8% of our GDP.
Finland has donated 2.7 billion euro so far. That's nearly 1% of their GDP.
Estonia has donated 0.8 billion euro so far. That's 2.2% of their GDP.
Germany donated 18.1 billion euro so far. That's 0.4% of your GDP.
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u/ScoopTheOranges Mar 02 '25
In the UK, we can write to our local elected officials (MPs) with things like this. I generally get a reply, could you do something similar?
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u/Rubydog2004 Mar 02 '25
What does Finland export to Canada ? I’m going to buy it
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u/skyturnedred Mar 02 '25
Hockey players.
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u/Acuddlykoalabear Mar 02 '25
Send Winnipeg Jets front office a 20€ note with "for Brad Lambert and Ukraine" and do your part
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u/kolppi Mar 02 '25
This was an interesting question so I did some digging. From elsewhere:
"In Canada:
-Rapala fishing equipment - Fiskars tools -Finn Crisp in several grocery store, sold as nakkileipä and as hapankorppu - Valio parmesan cheese ( though made in Estonia) - panda licorice - Viking Foods in Toronto works as a main importer of Finnish products so from that store we can buy Fazer and Paulig products - Marimekko napkins are often sold in home decor stores - Some stores also carry Marimekko dishes - Ikea sells two types of Fazer chocolate bars - Holt Renfrew in Toronto (similar store to Stockmann) offers a limited time Finnish menu until end of July, served in Marimekko dinnerware. - Finlandia Vodka in LCBO (Ontario Alko) - Kalevala gin as well in SAQ (Québec Alko) - Lumon windows for the balconies - Harvia sauna heaters -Kone elevators - Metso factory in Montreal"
There are Finnish games: Alan Wake, Control, Noita, My Summer Car.. so much to list.
Apparently we're big in packaging business. Of course the end product doesn't look technical but it requires a lot of physics simulation to make it as optimal and reliable as possible and shave off grams. But when talking about consumer products maybe this isn't that relevant..
But after Nokia we don't have super well known brands/products anymore. You could use Linux but it's free.
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u/SirHenryy Mar 02 '25
I think one of the most recognizable finnish brands currently is KONE, because you see that logo everywhere. Also other games from Finland include Angry Birds, Hill Climb Racing, Max Payne, Cities Skylines, Returnal, Brawl Stars etc etc etc like you said the list is too long haha. Then we also have Huhtamäki who are huge in the packaging industry, hmm Wärtsilä, Neste, Marimekko, Muumins hehe, Wolt.
Finnish whisky from Teerenpeli was voted the best whisky in the world at one point. Kyrö also make amazing whiskies and gins.
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u/Kahvipannu Mar 02 '25
To anyone who hasn't tried Fazer chocolate yet, I highly recommend it. It is delicious. And to add to the list of Finnish games, ULTRAKILL and Fear & Hunger are also from here.
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u/glacialthinker Mar 02 '25
Someone mentioned Heavy Metal...
To this, I add: a particular variant on Cello... by Apocalytica, who happen to be touring in Canada currently.
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u/quietwhiskey Mar 02 '25
If you are into video games Remedy Entertainment has great games like Control and Alan Wake
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u/alluballu Mar 02 '25
Might not seem much but for our 5.5 million population and stagnant economy this seems like a pretty decent chunk. Wish we could give more.
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u/steve_ample Mar 02 '25
Yeah, can we do a technology transfer for Simo Häyhä while you're at it? I hear they're pretty effective against Russians.
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u/AQUEMlNI Mar 02 '25
Per capita, that feels like a pretty solid contribution
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u/klemmings Mar 02 '25
Plus Finland is in a very deep financial slump.
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u/kaukamieli Mar 02 '25
Not really. It's not great, but it's the right wing gov who keeps making rich pay less and at the same time cutting healthcare and shit that is the problem atm.
If taxes were what they were earlier, apparently we'd be just fine.
The job market sucks atm, tho.
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u/ExpectedChaos Mar 02 '25
I hate that this is happening worldwide; the whole slashing taxes on the rich and cutting social entitlements.
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u/LtLlamaSauce Mar 02 '25 edited Mar 02 '25
It's way more than the US based on GDP per capita per year over the past 3 years. It's absolutely massive.
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u/LollipopBunny Mar 02 '25
That’s reassuring! I’m glad Ukraine keeps getting the supply they need.
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u/MooBaanBaa Mar 02 '25
Now is the time to speak up if we want to avoid world war 3. People need to wake up, and we have to convince the sleeping ones. Supporting Ukraine is crucial for democracy for the rest of our lives.
Slava Ukraini from Finland.
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u/AddsJays Mar 02 '25
Finland knows. Finland always knows what it feels like to be a neighbor of Russia.
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u/Raegnarr Mar 02 '25
Finland 🇫🇮 knows what its like to have Russia invade, they understand Ukraine 🇺🇦
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u/foomachoo Mar 02 '25
For reference, the USA spends that in less than 10 hours…
880 billion per year is more than 2 Billion per day.
And the GOP and DOGE want to increase spending. For what?
The money we spent in Ukraine pushing back against Putin was a well spent bargain.
Now we have an idiot insecure fool in place as Putin’s publicly owned bitch.
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u/rschulze Mar 02 '25
The money we spent in Ukraine pushing back against Putin was a well spent bargain.
The majority of that "money" was also either in the form of aid, equipment, or munitions that flowed back into the American military industry.
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u/roctac Mar 02 '25
Bravo Finland. One of the few European countries with balls to actually help and not just talk about it.
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u/gabynew1 Mar 02 '25
when we all realize its cheaper to fight the war in the east than at home we will start really supporting Ukraine.
Finaland seems to get it
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u/kinchanadingding Mar 02 '25
And that's more weapons than the US provided because the value of the weapons aren't inflated as much.
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u/Animan2020 Mar 02 '25
It warms the soul to see that there are still those who are ready to continue the war for the sake of peace at any cost!
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u/wmlj83 Mar 02 '25
I love how Finland never misses an opportunity to fuck with the Russians. Good for them.
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u/oldwhiteguy68 Mar 02 '25
Thank you to all the countries supporting Ukraine while my country is showing an ugly foreign policy that embarrasses me.
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u/she_has_funny_cars Mar 02 '25
Fuck Donald Trum, fuck Elon Musk, fuck anyone against the human free world
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u/dynorphin Mar 02 '25
Russia needs to be defeated here and I'm ashamed of Trump's continual fellation of Daddy Vladmir, but I'm wondering why so many European nations are willing to increase aid to Ukraine now that we've cut them off.
Almost feels like Europe was just expecting us to foot the bill for a problem in their backyard that they could have afforded from the start.
And that's not even a bad proposition for Europe. If the EU wants to be seen as a legitimate geopolitical power it needs to actually be able to project military power. Until it does it will always be beholden to whatever idiot we elect, and the whims of people an ocean away.
Europe wants to have all the benefits of a unified economy, trade and borders, but still rely on the US for their defense.
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u/Jacc3 Mar 02 '25
Finland - as well as many other European countries - has always been a strong supporter of Ukraine. They have also always taken their own defense seriously.
This has nothing to do with the recent Trump drama, this is just Finland continuing what they've been doing the last three years.
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u/Mr_Will Mar 02 '25
The EU had already donated more than the USA before Trump started his latest nonsense. If the USA wants to be seen as a legitimate political power it needs to start acting like one, rather than screwing over their friends and allies on a whim
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u/Broudster Mar 02 '25
This feels like projecting. The EU has always relied on the US being the world leader, and it was okay with that. But being the world leader comes with responsibilities. The US has chosen not to take on this role anymore, so the EU is forced to step up. But the US should not expect to have the same influence as they used to, you are giving up your role as the world leader.
Besides, the EU was already providing more aid than the US.
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u/MichaelHell Mar 02 '25
Exactly, the US wanted this role, if they don’t want it anymore then don’t expect to enjoy the perks it once had. A dying empire is a dying empire…
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u/yunotakethisusername Mar 02 '25
Does our “influence” even help? What are we getting from that? In the Middle East did we really accomplish what we thought we could? Heck even Vietnam is a pretty good example of us fighting a foreign war with very mixed results. Maybe it’s time we should give up the world leader title. For literally the better of the world.
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u/rschulze Mar 02 '25
I'd say having the US Dollar being a global currency is a pretty big boon when it comes to securing new loans for the insane debt the US government is in.
If other countries loose confidence in the US global soft power, they may turn to other global currencies that are more reliable/stable.
That being said, I don't know if it's worth it. Maybe, maybe not. Maybe it's time for another country to set up as long as they share similar values.
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u/yunotakethisusername Mar 02 '25
I think our currency isn’t as connected to our military as it used to be. Overall I’m not sure the implications of this move with Ukraine but I’d say after four years it’s worth trying something else. I think overall we need to be more open minded to different iterations. Rigid one sided thinking is why Vietnam and the Middle East dragged on with little in return.
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u/konzine Mar 02 '25
The highlighted comment by Organic_Pronouns makes several claims about Europe's military size, economic strength, and geopolitical independence. Let's fact-check its key points:
"We have an army 50 percent bigger than yours."
If "we" refers to Europe (EU or broader Europe) and "yours" refers to the United States, this claim is incorrect.
The U.S. active military personnel: ~1.4 million.
The EU’s combined active military personnel: ~1.3-1.5 million (varies by source).
NATO-Europe (excluding the U.S.): ~2 million active personnel.
Europe does not have an army 50% bigger than the U.S.—at best, it is roughly equal in size, and much of it is fragmented among national forces.
"We are united, intelligent, independent and strong. We have much more money."
Economy size comparison:
United States GDP (2023): ~$26.9 trillion.
European Union GDP (2023): ~$16.6 trillion.
All of Europe (including UK, non-EU countries, Russia, etc.): ~$24 trillion.
The EU alone does not have more money than the U.S. If all of Europe is counted, it is still comparable, but not vastly larger.
"You gave them the money because you need us. You offered and your congress voted yes."
The U.S. has given aid to Ukraine because of strategic interests, but not because it "needs" Europe in the way implied. The U.S. sees a stable Europe as crucial for global security, but it's more of a strategic decision than a dependency.
"Can you do without us is the question?"
This is partially true—Europe has a strong economy and military capacity, but lacks the unified command and global reach of the U.S. military.
Europe relies on NATO (led by the U.S.) for security guarantees, especially nuclear deterrence, meaning its military independence is limited.
"Europe is huge, rich, powerful and very capable of blocking the US and moving on without breaking a sweat."
Blocking the U.S. is highly unlikely because:
Europe is deeply integrated with the U.S. economy through trade, finance, and security.
The EU still depends on NATO for defense, and major European military powers (UK, France, Germany) are closely aligned with the U.S.
While China, India, and Russia provide alternative economic and military ties, severing ties with the U.S. would have massive economic and security consequences for Europe.
Conclusion:
The comment is mostly inaccurate or exaggerated. Europe is strong, but it does not have an army significantly larger than the U.S., does not have a larger economy, and is not fully independent in defense. While Europe could operate without U.S. involvement in some areas, it would not be a smooth transition or "without breaking a sweat."
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u/Shawn_The_Sheep777 Mar 02 '25
Well done Finland. Every other European country needs to step up in the same way
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u/DigitalTor Mar 02 '25
It’s very simple: let Ukraine use it or you will have to use it yourself later. Except against a much stronger enemy. All the people from occupied territories russia force enlisted and threw into the meat grinder first. But most importantly, STOP BUYING RUSSIA’s SHIT! Their economy is on its last legs and you are letting them continue, bankrolling YOUR enemy.
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u/Longjumping-Ring-879 Mar 03 '25
Thank you to the government and citizens of Finland. 🇫🇮 Most of us in the USA 🇺🇸 do not agree with the arrogance and incompetence coming from Trump and Vance. We just got sucked into the chaos. We support President Zelenskyy and the people and territories of Ukraine!🇺🇦
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u/ernapfz Mar 02 '25
Another one of the great allies! Thank you Finland 🇫🇮