Mika Aaltola is a Finnish political scientist, MEP, and former Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. A leading expert on NATO and Russia, he has taught at Johns Hopkins and the University of Tampere. Elected to the European Parliament in 2024, he serves on the Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET), the Subcommittee on Security and Defence (SEDE), and is a substitute for International Trade (INTA). He is a key voice in Finnish and European security policy.