The Ukrainian Lioness Will Defeat Vladimir Putin’s Army

Happy Finnish Mother’s Day to all mothers!

People say that mothers fight for their children like lionesses. In the same way, the Ukrainians have acted by stretching Vladimir Putin’s three-day “special military operation” into a war that has now lasted for more than four years.

As a result, the Russian army had to settle for a rather modest Victory Day parade yesterday. Unlike in previous years, there were no missiles on display — nor even the T-34 tank designed in the 1930s, which was still present in 2023. Perhaps the last of those is already on its way to Ukraine as well?

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In one respect, however, Vladimir Putin may well be right. In his speech, he stated that the war “is moving toward its conclusion, but it nevertheless remains a serious matter.”

Unfortunately for Putin, the war has reached its culmination point, and his army’s offensive has stalled much like Hitler’s forces at Stalingrad in 1942. Nor does the future appear any brighter for him, because Ukrainian technical ingenuity is set to reverse the course of the war: new drones and missiles are already pounding Russia’s arms and oil industries, while armed robots have begun supporting — and when necessary even replacing — Ukrainian soldiers on the battlefield.

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Many Russians who have supported Putin up to this point have noticed this as well. But for now, fear of failure has reportedly prevented a coup.

This too is familiar from Hitler’s Germany, where the Austrian corporal remained in power so long that he ultimately chose to end his own life. By then, the Red Army had already reached Berlin, meaning Germany’s defeat in the war had been obvious for quite some time.

Putin’s advantage, of course, is that he ultimately has nuclear missiles at his disposal, and fear of them undoubtedly prevents the Ukrainians from attempting to conquer Russian territory. Thus, he cannot end up in a situation similar to Adolf Hitler’s in 1945 — even though such an outcome would undoubtedly be viewed by many as roughly equally positive for humanity as a whole.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
Escalating Threats—and a Touch of Irony
Russia’s Spring Offensive: Gains Unclear, Losses Undeniable
Concern About the Future Is Growing in Russia

Immigration Policy Must Take Artificial Intelligence and Robots into Account

Birth rates have declined rapidly in nearly all industrialized countries. This is said to cause sustainability gaps and labor shortages, which has sparked much discussion in East Asia and Europe, including in Finland.

Prime Minister of Finland, Petteri Orpo (NCP), announced yesterday that his government will implement measures to promote labor-based immigration while simultaneously tightening humanitarian immigration laws to a Nordic level. He also stated, “labor-based immigration is what we need to promote and what we want to promote. We need it.”

Another representative from a major governing party, Jani Mäkelä, chair of the Finns Party’s parliamentary group, also weighed in on the matter. According to him, the forecast’s fulfillment is uncertain since recent increased immigration primarily stems from Ukrainians, whose influx into Finland is unlikely to continue for long.

Despite this, he too noted that “the government is taking the right actions regarding labor-based immigration, tightening the requirements for entry and work eligibility. Those who remain in the country under these conditions are likely to contribute quite positively to the national economy.”

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I can largely agree with these views, but I also want to remind everyone that while the government may be setting our immigration policy on a clearly more sensible path, this approach should hold after the 2027 parliamentary elections as well. I don’t believe the election results will be determined so much by the immigration policy pursued but rather by the general economic policies in place.

For this reason, the government should ensure that Finland and its public finances turn towards growth by early 2026 at the latest, so that this will have a tangible impact on people’s lives before the spring of 2027 when elections are held. Otherwise, we risk a return to power by the left, leading to the dilution of the reforms made now and a shift toward economically and domestically unsustainable immigration policies.

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In this context, we should also note that technology is currently advancing at an exceptionally rapid pace. It is practically certain that robots guided by artificial intelligence will replace an increasing number of workers every day.

For instance, I am fully confident that if I ever end up in a nursing home, I will be cared for there—following Japan’s example—by robots. Their use won’t be limited to elderly care; robots and AI will replace various types of workers during my lifetime.

AI is already being used today, for example, in programming or determining the spatial structure of proteins. I see no fundamental obstacle to AI-driven robots in the future building opera houses or managing the entire agricultural production chain—from grain cultivation to animal slaughter, meat packaging, and delivery to stores.

It’s also virtually certain that AI robots will, at some point, be handing out ski poles by day and serving beer to vacationers at ski resorts by night. I wouldn’t be surprised to one day see a company whose owner selects an AI as its CEO or a research team with independent AI and robotic members—first steps toward this have already been seen.

In other words, the labor market will undergo radical changes within this century. Thus, there’s no need for sudden demographic policy panic reactions, even if it is currently wise to invest somewhat in labor-based immigration to address the acute labor shortage and, of course, to make it feasible for young people to have children if and when they wish to.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
The difficult times for Finland's economy are coming to an end
A caliphate was demanded in Germany
The change in the demographic structure of Helsinki