Mika Aaltola (b. 1969) is a Finnish political scientist and MEP, former Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA). He earned a PhD from Tampere University and taught at Cambridge, Sciences Po, Johns Hopkins, Minnesota, and Tallinn. Aaltola has authored seven books on foreign policy, U.S. power, and democratic risks. A well-known expert on the Ukraine war, he rose to media prominence and ran for Finland’s presidency in 2024.