Pekka Toveri (EPP) delivers a powerful reminder: Europe cannot afford to ignore the Russian threat. Drawing on the painful history of countries like Finland, Estonia, and Poland, he rejects the notion that diplomacy alone can stop aggression. Toveri stresses the need for continued defence investments to ensure Europe’s security and protect future generations. Highlighting the real power behind Russia’s defence budget, he urges Europe to stay on course. Watch to understand why he believes defence readiness is not optional—it’s essential.

  • A_norny_mousse@feddit.org
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    14 hours ago

    I’m starting to hate people who are shortsighted (historically challenged) and blinkered (victims of hybrid warfare) enough to claim that Russia is not a threat to Europe.

    Every resident of every Eastern European country bordering Russia will tell you how they took a piece of their home. Literally just snapping off a piece of their country and quietly incorporating it into Russia. Which hasn’t been undone to date. How even before Putin they talked about “protecting” “Russian” citizens of said countries (which opens up a whole new can of worms about displacement of original residents, a.k.a. genocide). How present the Russian military actually is, just across the border.

    Apropos nothing here’s a real conversation I had just a couple of days ago. Problem is, I like the guy. He’s not a fascist. He’s one of those people who say they’re not political, but then cannot help themselves having an opinion anyhow. To his credit he was thoughtful and quiet after that short exchange:

    Him: “You know, Putin doesn’t really want war…”
    Me: “What, he didn’t want to invade Ukraine?”
    “No, not like that. You know Tucker Carlson invited him on his show…”
    “Actually, Fucker Tarlson went to Moscow.”
    “Yeah, anyhow, the long interview…”
    “You mean Putin’s monologue.”
    “Yes, but he said that he doesn’t want war!”
    “How friendly of him to protray himself like that for a large audience!”

    • peaches@lemm.ee
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      14 hours ago

      Yeah, people are ignorant, that’s what it is. And they like to lie to themselves. I don’t like war, I don’t like conflict, even in my personal life, I rather live in peace and quiet. But step over my boundaries and you will be sorry. And second time you will probably avoid that.

      I lean more to the left, generally, but I think nowadays, the left takes things to the extreme. It is one thing to purposely attack someone, it is another to not be able to defend yourself against attacks of any kind. When those people are against spending on defence and arms, they are just ignorant. Why do you think police exist? Because some people just don’t have the morality to abide by the rules we all set.

      Do your work as a politician to ensure domestic safety and that there is no corruption in government to use those weapons for personal gains. Then the far right will not be so effective with their propaganda. They feed on fear and discontent. Make your citizens feel safe and have decent lives, and they will vote you.

      • A_norny_mousse@feddit.org
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        7 hours ago

        If you don’t see how the war between the west and russia is going you are literally blind.

        This doesn’t even address what I said. Learn to troll harder.

  • artomelaranta@lemmings.world
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    14 hours ago

    Toveri is s former officer of Finn7 Army and he knows that we have 1300 km long border with Russia. Even though Russian army is mostly in Ukraine Finland can’t be ignorant about Russian threat. Fortunately Finnish army has good intelligent department and they know where Russian troops are

  • DicksAndPizza@lemm.ee
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    15 hours ago

    Russia has proven for over 20 years that it cannot be a trustworthy partner and that diplomacy is only a game for them.

    All they understand is death, fire and explosions. And alcohol. Ukraine needs to start bombing Moscow. Would be a shame if accidentally some civilian infrastructure got bombed by misguided drones. Like a hospital. Talk about tastes of own medicine and all.

    • Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org
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      14 hours ago

      I agree with the first part but they need to be very careful not to jeopardize future weapon deliveries and bombing a hospital wouldn’t go down well with any of their allies. These things also tend to rally the population even more against whoever did it. Sabotage would be better. Blown up train tracks, power cables and such. Don’t give the public any martyrs but make them feel every day that the war isn’t as far away as Putin has them believe.

      • DicksAndPizza@lemm.ee
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        14 hours ago

        I hear you but still I stand by my point, a rogue drone or two that accidentally got misguided… maybe into the Kremlin then instead of a hospital?

        Pretty please? Pinky promise I have no malicious intent lmao. But honestly, I want Russian civilians to suffer a bit because they need to fucking get the hint and do something it they want to survive. Ukrainian children are dying every day. Meanwhile Russians can live their lives.

        I want them to be scared shitless.

        • Venus_Ziegenfalle@feddit.org
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          14 hours ago

          That would be satisfying for a moment (in the unlikely event where the drone actually reaches its target) but the retaliation wouldn’t make it worth it. These attacks are meant to demoralize rather than harm. If you want the best of both worlds the target should be a propaganda news outlet.

          • DicksAndPizza@lemm.ee
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            14 hours ago

            I mean, Russia retaliates all the time anyways. Even unprompted. So I say fuck it. The sooner Moscow and St. Petersburg are bombed to shit, the better. Just look at Odessa. Just look at Mariupol. It’s time for Ukrainian retaliation.

            You see? This is why I’m glad sane people are in charge over there. Because I would probably cause MAD with my antics lol. Please don’t give me any political power ever.

            Love your username btw haha. How did you even come up with that

    • CAVOK@lemmy.worldOP
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      9 hours ago

      Care to give an example of an EU country that illegally annexed part of another country in the last 80 years or so?

      • shaserlark@sh.itjust.works
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        9 hours ago

        I think Russia is an imperialist monster and as such a threat to Europe, but most of Europe illegally invaded Iraq & Lybia and they deliver weapons and are mostly pro-Israel. So we’re not better we’re just not attacking our direct neighbors anymore.

        So the top-level comment does have a point but only because we’re hypocrites

        • wieson@feddit.org
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          6 hours ago

          Let’s take all EU+ former EU+ eea countries = 31 countries

          2003 invasion of Iraq:

          USA, UK, Australia, Poland

          2/31 = not most


          Intervention in Libya 2011:

          12/31 = still not most

    • Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org
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      9 hours ago

      @index@sh.itjust.works

      European countries combined already spend tree times more in war than russia

      Your statement is outright false as Russia overtakes all of Europe on defense spending in key metric

      Based on one key economic metric, Russian defense spending eclipsed all other European countries combined last year and is projected to increase further in 2025, according to a leading defense think tank […]

      Moscow’s military expenditure spiked by over 40 percent to almost $146 billion in the past year, equivalent to 6.7 percent GDP, and is on track to hit 7.5 percent GDP in 2025. When adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), Russia spent nearly $462 billion in 2024, effectively leapfrogging Europe’s collective spending.

      An important detail in the article is imo:

      [Bastian Giegerich, IISS Director-General] also said that the conflict had “demonstrated increasing connections between European and Asia Pacific security” which included North Korea entering the conflict by deploying 10,000 troops, China’s decision to sell dual-use technologies to Russia […]

      Your statement that Europe has “nukes staked illegally all over the place” is as false as the link you provided is pointless. There’s nothing illegal except Russia’s aggression and invasion of Ukraine.

      • index@sh.itjust.works
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        8 hours ago

        Your statement is outright false

        My statement is not false:

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_with_highest_military_expenditures

        Even if we accept that a billion spend in war in russia equals to 3 billions spent in war in europe the narrative doesn’t change much. EU countries combined are in the same league of military spendings of an imperialistic country.

        Your statement that Europe has “nukes staked illegally all over the place” is as false as the link you provided is pointless. There’s nothing illegal except Russia’s aggression and invasion of Ukraine.

        Not false again.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_sharing

        “According to the former Italian President Francesco Cossiga, Italy’s role in a planned retaliation consisted in striking with those nuclear weapons Czechoslovakia and Hungary had the Warsaw Pact waged nuclear war against NATO. He acknowledged the presence of U.S. nuclear weapons in Italy, and speculated about the possible presence of British and French nuclear weapons.”

        • Hotznplotzn@lemmy.sdf.org
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          6 hours ago

          According to the former Italian President Francesco Cossiga, Italy’s role in a planned retaliation consisted in striking with those nuclear weapons Czechoslovakia and Hungary had the Warsaw Pact waged nuclear war against NATO. He acknowledged the presence of U.S. nuclear weapons in Italy, and speculated about the possible presence of British and French nuclear weapons."

          The former Czechoslovakia has emerged in two countries (Czech Republic and Slovakia, just in case you don’t know), the Warsaw Pact dissolved more than 30 years ago. Francesco Cossiga was Italian President in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

          And these are just three of your many weird statements that are completly irrelevant regarding Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression against Ukraine that started in 2014. Your false and obviously misleading statements discredit you.

          You may wish to read a history book or two instead of the communities where you read this rubbish.