Welcome to the weekend issue of Brussels Edition, Bloomberg’s daily briefing on what matters most in the heart of the European Union. Join us on Saturdays for deeper dives from our bureaus across Europe.

HELSINKI — For your next workout, why not join the Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, as he cheers on new conscripts for the Nordic country’s military. 

Posting weekly training videos, the sporty head of state offers tips for those entering their compulsory service in July on how to get into better shape before the 6-to-12-month stint in the defense forces that includes marches in full gear and field exercises in the forest.

Set to some jazzy tunes, the workout videos include jogging and stretching, with Stubb, 57, reminiscing about the start of his own military training. There’s a full 12-week program online with simple, daily exercises interspersed with rest days for anyone who wants to get into better shape. Week 1 is heavy on the stretching, while week 2 steps it up to a light forest run.

“I do remember how exciting it was to report for service back in 1988,” Stubb said. “Physical challenges came to mind, yet no information was easily available on how to prepare in advance. Now I want to ensure that conscripts have a better opportunity to do so.”

Finland's President Alexander Stubb trains with conscripts. Photographer: Finnish Defense Forces

Belying the cheerful tone of the videos is the dark truth: Finland is preparing to defend itself against Russia in the east.

Conscription is nothing new, but the urgency of being prepared has increased. The country’s 1,300-kilometer border with Russia may soon also be defended using anti-personnel landmines as Finland is taking steps to quit the Ottawa Convention, just over a decade after first joining. 

When that happens, the conscripts will likely be taught to deploy the covert explosives, just like they still learn how to craft a Molotov cocktail — a simple, hand-thrown incendiary device with a name coined by the Finns during the Winter War of 1939.

The latest entrants to the defense forces are men born in 2006, more than 24,000 of them, representing three-quarters of their age cohort.

Military service remains popular, with 8 in 10 Finns reporting they’re willing to take up arms to defend the country. A voluntary service for women started 30 years ago, and almost 1,500 women applied to serve this year.

Stubb is an avid athlete, known for taking part — and winning — triathlon competitions, and in his youth played golf for Finland’s national team. More recently, he played 18 holes with President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago last month.

“My philosophy is that one hour of exercise gives you two hours of energy, every day,” Stubb said. “You feel good after exercising.”

— Kati Pohjanpalo, Nordic managing editor

Weekend Reads

Trump’s Trade Whiplash Sinks World Into Dreaded ‘Uncertainty’

The world’s finance chiefs flocked to Washington this week to see up close how Trump’s effort to overhaul the global economic order is shaking markets and eroding growth. Reassurances from the White House that the broad outlines of several new trade deals were around the corner contrasted with delegations still trying to figure out what Trump’s team wants and what they can offer. 

Inside a Mission to Test Military Limits in the Arctic

The aurora borealis over the Norwegian military exercise. Photograph: Norwegian Armed Forces Photographer: Photograph: Norwegian Armed Forces.

It’s the middle of the night in the hills of northern Norway as a group of soldiers skis silently toward an enemy target. The cold drains the batteries on the patrol leader’s night vision goggles and stiffens his skis, making them hard to maneuver. It’s -37°C (-34.6°F) outside, but wind chill makes it feel even colder. Their mission is to survive 100 day as part of an exercise to test the effect of Arctic conditions on their equipment, bodies and minds.

Poland Doubled Its Defense Budget. Much of the Cash Went Abroad

Poland has more than doubled its defense spending, but much of that cash has gone to foreign contractors, demonstrating the difficulty that the country, and its European neighbors, face in using those fresh funds to help build more resilient domestic defense industries.

US Aid Pullback Making Ukraine More Vulnerable to Russian Hacks

US efforts to help Ukraine protect itself against Russian cyberattacks have been curtailed amid wide-ranging disruption by the Trump administration, raising concerns about the erosion of vital defenses against Kremlin-backed hackers. Dozens of people located in Ukraine and the US — who had provided technical assistance on cybersecurity at hundreds of facilities across the war-torn country — have had their contracts cancelled or paused, we’ve learned.

How Popes Are Chosen - Process, Ritual and Symbolism

Cardinals meet to elect a successor to John Paul I in 1978. Photographer: Bettmann/Getty Images

For centuries, the head of the Roman Catholic Church has been chosen through what’s known as a papal conclave. The proceedings are cloaked in secrecy, making them the subject of speculation and intrigue. The process can last days, weeks, sometimes years. 

This Week in Europe

• Saturday: Funeral of Pope Francis in Rome with world leaders in attendance
• Monday: NATO hosts event to mark 70th anniversary of Germany’s accession to the alliance
• Tuesday: EU environment ministers hold informal meeting in Warsaw
• Thursday: Labor Day holiday across much of Europe