London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

West has declared 'total hybrid war' on Russia, claims Lavrov - as Putin warns Finland against joining NATO

West has declared 'total hybrid war' on Russia, claims Lavrov - as Putin warns Finland against joining NATO

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Finland's leader that abandoning neutrality would be a "mistake" but Finland's minister for European affairs has told Sky News the country is "prepared for all kinds of nasty measures".

The West has declared a "total hybrid war" against Russia and it is hard to predict how long it will last, Moscow's foreign minister has said.

Sergei Lavrov said the consequences of the war in Ukraine will be felt around the world.

But speaking about sanctions on Russia, he warned: "Western politicians should understand their efforts to isolate our country are in vain."

And he went on to accuse Western nations of stealing other countries' assets and losing their reputation as reliable partners.

"In the future, the world economy will be de-Americanised," he said in a speech on the 80th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We did everything to avoid a direct clash - but now that the challenge has been thrown down, we of course accept it," Mr Lavrov continued.

"We are no strangers to sanctions: they were almost always there in one form or another."

His comments come after a meeting of G7 foreign ministers took place earlier on Saturday, which saw the nations sign a statement saying they will continue to put economic pressure on Russia.

The group, which is made up of the UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and Italy, also backed giving more aid and arms to Ukraine and expediting its efforts to "end reliance on Russian energy supplies".

"We reaffirm our determination to further increase economic and political pressure on Russia, continuing to act in unity," a joint statement read.

Other key developments:

• President Zelenskyy says talks with Russia on getting wounded defenders out of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol were "very complex"
• Russian fighter jets have taken part in Baltic Sea drills, Interfax reported
• Russia says it will take adequate precautionary measures if NATO deploys nuclear forces and infrastructure close to its border
• Ukraine is storing hundreds of dead Russian soldiers in a refrigerated train in order to send them back to their families
• American think tank believes Russia has lost the battle for Ukraine's second-largest city

Putin warns Finland it would be a 'mistake' to join NATO


Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Finland's leader that abandoning neutrality would be a "mistake" but that there are no security threats to its capital, Helsinki.

In response, President Sauli Niinisto told Mr Putin that his demands for countries to avoid joining NATO, together with the invasion of Ukraine, have changed Finland's security environment.

In a readout of a phone call between the two leaders, Finland's president said: "The conversation was direct and straight-forward and it was conducted without aggravations. Avoiding tensions was considered important."

Russia's Kremlin described the call as a "frank exchange of views" - normally a diplomatic euphemism for a difficult conversation.

Finland's NATO membership bid is expected to be followed by a similar move from Sweden.

An expansion of NATO would be a blow to Mr Putin, who undertook the war in, what he said was, a bid to thwart the alliance's easterly advance.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) pictured in 2021


'We are in a different situation since Russia started its ruthless war'


Discussing Finland's bid to join the alliance, the country's European affairs minister told Sky News it is "ready to carry out its responsibilities for the security of Europe".

Asked if Finland is playing a dangerous game by going against Mr Putin's warning, Tytti Tuppurainen replied: "Absolutely not.

"We are in a different situation since Russia started its ruthless and illegal war in Ukraine."

She explained that "it is time" for Finland to "get allies and to get more partners" but it does not "intend to provoke anyone".

"It's about security," Ms Tuppurainen said. "We have a neighbour which we have seen is able to act and wage a very ruthless war.

"We are prepared for all kinds of nasty measures against us but there is absolutely no panic and we are not afraid. We have been preparing for all kinds of actions and this is about our own decisions."

"Putin is to blame and this is one of the consequences of his game," she said.

'There is no threat'


Earlier on Saturday, the operator of Finland's national grid, Finigrid, confirmed to Sky News that electricity is no longer coming into the nation from Russia.

The cut supposedly happened because payments were unable to be processed.

Speaking to Sky News, the senior vice president of Finigrid, Reima Paivinen said: "We are not worried... Russian input totals about 10% of our consumption and the lack of input can be covered by having more national production and by increasing imports from Sweden and the Baltic countries.

"There is no threat that there will be not enough electricity," he added.

Comments

Oh ya 3 year ago
The west mainly the USA wants war with Russia. Ukraine would not sign the Minski agreement that was worked out since 2014 likely being told not to from America. The last thing a failing country does is take its people to war and if you have at least 2 working brain cells you can see the US is a failing nation

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×