The former Prime Minister of Finland says the West’s raft of sanctions has totally isolated Russia on the world stage.
ADVERTISEMENTRussian President Vladimir Putin is "totally and utterly isolated," the former Finnish prime minister told Euronews.
Alexander Stubb said he was surprised that Putin decided last week to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, adding that we don't know what will happen next.
"It’s very difficult for any regime in the world to work with President Putin anymore and I think he’s totally and utterly isolated," Stubb, who is also a professor at the European University Institute's School of Transnational Governance, said.
He said the sanctions from the US and European Union have resulted in Putin being in “total isolation.”
"This means that we are going to a world where there’s a real geoeconomic iron curtain between Russia and the rest of the free world," he added.
Earlier the former PM argued in 10 tweets that the security threat from Russia is very real, adding that we are "beyond a point of no return."
His warnings come as Russia seized Europe’s largest nuclear power plant in eastern Ukraine after heavy shelling sparked a fire at the complex early on Friday morning.
Stubb outlined that Putin’s threats have only strengthened support for NATO in his native Finland and in Sweden.
Watch the full interview in the video player above.