Finland's Stubb tells Europe to "calm down" over US troop pullback.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb urged Europe on Monday to "calm down and lower the temperature" amid fears of a U.S. military withdrawal from the continent, insisting that Washington will not abandon NATO despite its plans to pull troops from Germany. Speaking to the Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, Stubb pushed back against mounting alarm within the military alliance after the U.S. announced last week that it would pull 5,000 troops from Germany. The Pentagon initiative followed months of pressure from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to reduce America's military footprint in Europe while accusing NATO allies of failing to support the U.S. during its war on Iran. "The United States will not withdraw from Europe," the Finnish president said. "If they want to project their power into regions like the Middle East, Asia, Africa, they need to have a solid foundation here." Europe, he continued, is doing the right thing militarily by ramping up spending on defense, but often undermines deterrence through panicked public messaging. Finland's president also pushed back against the idea that Europe would be defenseless without Washington. Pointing to Finland's long-standing military posture against Russia, Stubb argued: "If we can defend ourselves, NATO can do it too." Stubb opened the door to direct European engagement with Moscow, saying "it's time to start talking to Russia" and confirming that discussions are underway among European leaders.