According to Ahtisaari, NATO poses no threat whatsoever to Russia today. Speaking on the YLE TV 1 current affairs programme Ykkösaamu, the President said that Finns seemed to believe in an unchanging, Soviet Union-like Russia, although Finland’s eastern neighbour was in fact undergoing great transformation. The President felt that such a static view, as evidenced in public debate, was insulting towards Russians.

Ahtisaari confessed that he was bothered by the fact that Finland was unwilling to take more steps to join NATO, which was so central to peacekeeping today. Finland’s political leaders should be more concerned about what kind of image Finland is giving of itself by remaining outside of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. At the same time, Ahtisaari felt that prospects for Finland progressing on a path to NATO membership seemed poor, based on public debate on the matter,

The President warned that Finland could end up being left behind, grouped with countries such as the Ukraine or Belarus – hardly a positive development for Finland’s international image.

The Peace Nobelist President also commentated on conflicts in the Middle East, Korea, as well as the EU economical crisis.