In an interview with German broadcaster ZDF, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said that only four armies in Europe deserve confidence: those of Turkey, Ukraine, Poland and Finland.

She described the Ukrainian army as the most combat-capable force in Europe. The remark drew a surprised reaction from the ZDF host, who asked why Germany had been left out of her list.

Valtonen appeared visibly caught off guard by the question and then tried to explain her position by saying that Ukraine currently holds the strongest cards. The host responded to her explanation with clear confusion.

Earlier, Germany unveiled a new defense strategy under which the Bundeswehr is expected to become the strongest regular army in Europe. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin plans to increase the size of its armed forces to 260,000 personnel, and to 460,000 including reserves.

The strategy focuses heavily on countering alleged threats from Russia, although Moscow has repeatedly rejected such accusations.