President Stubb discusses Russia, personal interests, and childhood in interview for children’s magazine
President Alexander Stubb has shared his views on Russia, personal preferences, and childhood experiences in an interview with Koululainen, a magazine aimed at schoolchildren. The interview, which features Stubb on the cover of the August issue, includes questions submitted by young readers.
Views on Russia and future dialogue
Stubb expressed respect for Russian people, culture, and history but made clear his opposition to the actions of Russia’s current government. Ilta-Sanomat reports that he stated: “I respect Russians, Russian culture, and even its history, but I cannot endorse the actions of Russia’s current government.”
The president has previously emphasized the need for dialogue with Russia, though in a coordinated manner. During the Kultaranta Talks in June, he suggested that some form of contact should be established “if not in the coming weeks, then within the next two months,” both at the European level and bilaterally for Finland (Ilta-Sanomat).
Personal interests and childhood memories
In the interview, Stubb revealed several personal details. When asked about his favorite animal, he said he likes dogs but noted that his household has a cat “because cats are a bit easier than dogs.” His favorite food, he said, is salmon soup (Iltalehti).
Stubb also discussed his childhood, describing himself as “a fairly ordinary child” who enjoyed sports such as football, handball, ice hockey, and golf. His favorite school subjects were sports and languages. He shared a humorous memory of a childhood prank: “One day, I thought it would be a good idea to put a banana in our teacher’s green bubble car’s exhaust pipe.” (Iltalehti)
Stubb told Koululainen that he became interested in politics due to his passion for Europe and the European Union, originally intending to focus on bringing Finland into the EU. He also mentioned that he plays games, though only board and sports games, describing himself as “a stick-in-the-mud, meaning old-fashioned” when it comes to video games (Ilta-Sanomat).
Message to young readers
The president encouraged Koululainen’s readers to read and stay active, emphasizing the importance of both habits (Iltalehti).
