The war in Ukraine is just over one year old.

There is widespread talk of a major spring offensive from both sides.

War in Europe, once unthinkable, is now the new normal.

But for one nation on Russia's northern border, this feels like deja vu.

It's a reminder of the Tsars who dominated them from the time of Napoleon until the Russian Revolution.

Or Joseph Stalin who invaded their land.

Or the Soviets who meddled in their affairs throughout the Cold War.

Like Ukraine, Finland knows what it's like to share a long border with Russia.

The Finns have had Vladimir Putin as a neighbor, and they've been performing the same delicate dance of decoupling under his very watchful eye.

A few weeks ago, Finland's ambassador to the United States, Miko Hautula, invited me and a few political colleagues over for dinner at his residence.

It was a memorable night, not just because of the stiff finished drinks he served, but also because of the unique insights he shared.

And I knew that you would want to hear all about it.

This week I returned to see him, this time at the Finnish Embassy, with two microvones and a very strong belief that Washington needs to know what he does about the war in Ukraine,

and how it is changing virtually every facet of global statecraft.

I'm Ryan Liza, and this is Playbook Deep Dive.

Before his posting to Washington, Miko Hautula was Finland's ambassador to Russia,

where he met Vladimir Putin more times than he can count.

I couldn't help but notice that outside the entrance of the sauna at the Finnish residency, which is a well-known destination for reporters and diplomats and government officials, hangs a picture of the ambassador and Putin.

Hautula occupied his post in Moscow during the critical years following Putin's first invasion of Ukraine.

He arrived here in Washington in 2020, and since the war began, he's become well-known as the person to talk to to understand Putin and Russia and the conflict in Ukraine.

At the embassy, we discussed what Americans don't understand about the Russian leader, the implications of the growing alliance between China and Russia, Finland's a session to NATO,

and why he believes the West needs to massively ramp up its industrial capability if it wants Ukraine to survive.

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