Stubb called India a “strategic actor” in shaping the global, political and security landscape.
India the Next Superpower, UN Risks Weakening Without India on Security Council says Finland President
President Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has said that India will soon stand alongside the United States and China as the world’s next superpower endorsing India’s global stature.
In an exclusive interview with First post in Helsinki, Stubb called India a “strategic actor” in shaping the global, political and security landscape and warned that the United Nations will continue to lose relevance unless India becomes a permanent member of the UN Security Council (UNSC).
“I am a great admirer of India and I think India will be our next superpower — with the United States and China,” Stubb said. “If players like India do not feel they have a real stake in the system, the UN will continue to weaken.”
The Finnish President, who has consistently advocated for UN reforms and multilateral inclusivity, said the Security Council should be expanded to reflect 21st-century realities. He suggested adding new permanent members — including one from Latin America, two from Africa, and two from Asia, underscoring that it is “wrong that countries like India are not part of the Council.”
Acknowledging India’s growing role globally, Stubb praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for their “strategic, multi-vector foreign policy” that successfully balances competing global interests.
Amid increased Western scrutiny of India’s continued oil trade with Russia, Stubb backed New Delhi’s independent foreign policy, saying, “India is a big, independent player—it makes its own decisions in foreign policy.” His remarks came as the U.S. imposed 25% tariffs on Indian exports, even as China and several European nations continued their own energy engagements with Moscow.
In Analysts' view Finland’s statement is part of a broader European recognition of India’s rising diplomatic and economic influence. As global alignments change, many see India’s inclusion in the UNSC as both inevitable and essential for a more representative and effective multilateral system.
