Finnish President Alexander Stubb has come under unusually harsh criticism in Russia, with Russian state media and senior officials repeatedly attacking him in recent weeks.
Russian outlets and officials have criticised Stubb in the past, but the tone has now escalated significantly, according to Arkady Moshes, programme director of the Russia, Eastern Europe and Eurasia Research Programme at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs.
"Virtually no other Western leader has been insulted as much as Stubb. This exceeds all norms of civilised behaviour," Moshes says.
The criticism intensified after Stubb joined several other European leaders in Kyiv on August 24 to mark Ukraine’s Independence Day. During the visit, he expressed support for Ukrainian attacks on Russian logistics centers.
Russian TV insults Stubb
One of Russia's most popular current affairs programmes claimed on Sunday that the Finnish President's actions have given rise to a new Russian expression, meaning "dumb as Stubb".
Vladimir Chernyshov, host of NTV’s Itogi nedeli programme, also commented on Stubb's appearance, comparing the Finnish president to a character from a 1990s American comedy.
On Rossiya-1, another major state television channel, the presenter claimed that Stubb was seeking territory from Russia.
"Dreams of a Greater Finland reaching the Urals seem to still be alive in Stubb," the Vesti nedeli programme claimed.
Russia has long used state media to portray Finland negatively and rewrite the history of the Winter War. Last year, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov described Finland as one of Adolf Hitler’s most loyal allies.
In a Sunday broadcast, REN TV described Stubb’s comments on Ukrainian attacks on Russian logistics centres as "bloodthirsty".
According to the channel, Stubb’s claim that such attacks make military strategic sense was "no longer even madness or psychopathy, but terrorism".
Russian officials join attacks
Senior Russian officials have also targeted Stubb personally.
Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said in an interview last week that Stubb had "degenerated as a statesman, politician and human being".
Former President and current Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev called Stubb a "real idiot" and a "moral monster" in a social media post.
Medvedev also accused Stubb and British Prime Minister Andy Burnham of betraying their voters by suggesting that Russia could be defeated.
Stubb has consistently supported Ukraine’s military efforts while also calling for dialogue with Russia.
In an interview with German newspaper Bild published on Saturday, he said Europe should seek to restart political dialogue with Moscow.
"I believe that someone in Europe needs to restart the dialogue with Russia so that we understand what is happening there. We need to talk to each other on a political level," Stubb said.
Finland has become a "traitor" to Putin
According to Moshes, the attacks are partly rooted in Russian President Vladimir Putin’s personal view of Stubb.
Moshes says Putin divides people into three categories: friends, enemies and traitors.
"He may still respect his enemies, but he hates traitors," Moshes says, noting that Putin’s hostility towards Stubb was fuelled by a comment the Finnish president made during his presidential campaign, when he said he would not answer the phone if Putin called.
Moshes describes the remark as a "major diplomatic mistake".
He also argues that Finland’s decision to join Nato has contributed to Putin viewing the country as a "traitor".
Despite the increasingly aggressive rhetoric, Moshes says there is no reason for Finland to panic.
"Finland needs to be vigilant. The worst possible reaction would be to behave as if Finland were at war with Russia," he says.
Moshes points to Finland’s military deterrence, including its strong national defence capabilities and NATO membership, as factors that Russia must take seriously.
