Understanding the psyche of Vladimir Putin | Alexander Stubb

Speaking to Calum Macdonald on Times Radio Early Breakfast, Finland's former prime minister Alexander Stubb said that his country should join NATO as a response to Russia's attack on Ukraine.

"When you've had 1340 kilometres of border with Russia throughout your history, I think you've picked up lessons over the years," he said.

"In terms of security, especially this regime and Putin will stop at nothing. So I think the lesson that we draw from this is that Finland should join NATO."

Asked whether Putin had changed since he last met him, he said: "I think the Western media is sort of going over the top and over the moon on this.

"There's a lot of sort of psychoanalysis from far away.

"But what the Western media doesn't understand is the psyche of a Russian leader, the psyche of a Russian leaders to promote Great Russia, historic Russia, not his stated goal as going back to the 1800s, which basically means taking over Belarus, and Ukraine. And for him, Great Russia or making Russia great again, it's about three things: one language, Russian, one religion, Orthodox, and one leader, him.

"He wants to prevent Ukraine being Europeanised. That is why he's doing what he's doing. From our perspective, it doesn't seem rational, but from his perspective, it is rational."

Listen to Alexander Stubb's interview in full on Times Radio.

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