This week's guest on Talking Europe has a unique vantage point on both the world of politics and sports. Alexander Stubb, the president of Finland, has been an established and influential figure in European and global affairs for the past decade. He's also a keen sportsman, competing – and winning titles – in triathlon, even during his political career.
While in Paris, Stubb is taking the opportunity to attend a number of Olympic events and cheer on his Finnish compatriots. But this year's Games have been overshadowed by geopolitics, with conflicts raging between Russia and Ukraine, as well as in the Middle East. For Stubb, even the much-reduced number of Russian athletes competing at the Paris Games is too much. He says: "A lot of Russians are now understanding 'why we are not in the Olympics'. So I hope that this puts pressure on Russia and Putin to stop this completely senseless war. If it was up to me, there would be no Russian athletes here. You have to pay the price."
