Putin has ‘achieved in one week the exact opposite of what he wanted’, says former Finnish PM

Vladimir Putin's has achieved "the opposite of what he wanted", a former Finnish prime minister has said, in a stark warning that highlights the difficulties now facing the Russian president one week into his invasion of Ukraine.

Despite claiming to be "liberating and de-Nazifying" Ukraine – claims that much of the international community rejects – the Russian president has only cemented his position as a "global pariah" who has united almost every nation on Earth in its condemnation of his actions.

Alexander Stubb, who served as the Finnish PM from 2014-15, tweeted: "Putin has achieved in one week the exact opposite of what he wanted: i.e. the Europeanisation of Ukraine, revitalisation of the Transatlantic relationship, the rejuvenation of Nato, unity of the EU and a radical shift in support for Nato membership in Finland and Sweden."

While Putin may have expected an easy victory, his forces have been met with fierce resistance from the Ukrainian people, causing Putin's underprepared soldiers to suffer heavy losses and slow progression.

Russia has so far captured only one Ukrainian city – the southern Dnipro River port of Kherson, which its tanks entered on Wednesday.

Other cities, including the capital of Kyiv and second-largest city Kharkiv, have remained under Ukrainian control despite suffering severe damage from Russian explosives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Thursday the Ukrainian's defence lines were holding against the Russian attack, adding: "We have nothing to lose but our own freedom."

An emergency UN general assembly voted overwhelmingly for a resolution deploring Russia's invasion of Ukraine and called for the immediate withdrawal of its forces, with longstanding allies Cuba and Venezuela joining China in abstaining.

The only countries to vote no in support of Moscow were Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria.

The response against Putin has resulted in Nato mounting defensive forces in neighbouring countries, and a favourable application for Ukraine to join the EU as the international community offers Zelenskyy almost unanimous support.

Putin's threat in Ukraine and further afield has also driven Finland and Sweden towards Nato – potentially strengthening the alliance Putin so despises.

Ukrainian authorities have claimed that more than 9,000 Russian soldiers have died since the attack began, in numbers which it is been so far impossible to independently verify.

On Wednesday, Russia admitted for the first time admitted it had suffered heavy losses, saying in a statement 498 of its troops had died. The UK has the death toll will be “considerably higher” than figures released by the Kremlin.

Instead of a swift invasion, Putin is now personally responsible for over a million refugees who have fled Ukraine into their neighbouring European countries.

In his own country, thousands have also been arrested after staging protests in Russia - most notably in Moscow and Putin's own hometown of St Petersburg.

Watch: Russia captures first major city

An unrelenting campaign of bombing Ukrainian cities has so far killed 2,000 civilians, Ukrainian authorities reported on Wednesday.

Stubb's said on Twitter the world has reached a "point of no return" after repeated examples of Russian aggression, and said Putin "won't necessarily stop" with Ukraine.

He added: "Putin is driven by nostalgia and legacy. Nostalgia of historic Russia with one language, one religion and one leader. A legacy of a leader who has made 'Russia great again'.

"He thus sees Belarus and Ukraina as part of Russia. Won’t necessarily stop there."

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In a mark of what to expect in the coming weeks, months and years, Stubb added Russia will remain a threat "for the foreseeable future".

"This is as much a fight about life, security and identity, as it is about ideology and way of life. Europe is now again split between an aggressive authoritarian regime and co-operative democracies," he said.

Stubb's comments comes after Putin threatened "serious military and political repercussions" if Finland joined Nato.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said the country's accession to Nato – the defensive military alliance currently made up of 28 European countries plus the US and Canada – could "have detrimental consequences".

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last week, current Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin said the debate surrounding Finland's membership of Nato "will change".