Finnish President Sauli Niinistö warns European leaders and citizens against complacency due to the risk of escalating Russia's war against Ukraine, he said in an interview with The New York Times (NYT).

According to him, the invasion was a "wake-up call" for Europe and NATO. "It was ringing loudly in February 2022. But do you hear it anymore? ... do all Europeans understand that this is a European problem," he said.

The war in Ukraine, the Finnish president believes, will last a long time, and wars can take unexpected paths, including the use of nuclear weapons. "The risk that nuclear weapons could be used is tremendous," he said.

Referring to the wreckage of a Russian drone that recently fell on the territory of Romania, which is a member of NATO, Niinistö also warned: "We are in a very sensitive situation. Even small things can change matters a great deal and unfortunately for the worse. That us the risk of such large-scale warfare."