After meeting with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, Finnish President Alexander Stubb mentioned that he thinks 20 April would be a reasonable deadline for a no-strings-attached ceasefire in Ukraine. According to Finnish public broadcaster Yle, Stubb suggested this date because it’s essential to set a deadline, and he believes it would be an ideal time for a complete halt to fighting without any conditions.
Stubb also told Trump that Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t trustworthy. He discussed the urgent need for a strong sanctions plan to push Russia to keep its promises. Stubb noted that Senator Lindsey Graham, who was there and has put together the sanctions package, plans to introduce it soon with support from around fifty senators.
Stubb pointed out that Trump’s patience with Russia is running low. He explained to Trump that this behaviour is typical of Russia: they’ll negotiate, then set new conditions. He made it clear that Russia only responds to strength, which means using sanctions and frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine.
This meeting was part of a longer series of discussions that started with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Finland. Stubb said his chat with Trump had been in the works for a while, and the opportunity finally came on Saturday. He also mentioned that he had touched base with key allies before his trip, including French President Emmanuel Macron, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, and all the Nordic prime ministers and EU leaders.
Stubb pointed out that Finland and the US have a strong bond, and Trump understands that Finland plays a key role in NATO security. They discussed many things like icebreakers, timber, past wars, NATO membership, and how Europe needs to step up for its own security.
Stubb clarified that while Trump’s role in NATO is changing, the US isn’t backing out of the alliance. He also mentioned that the US interest in buying Finnish icebreakers isn’t tied to Greenland, which didn’t come up in their talks. The Finnish president highlighted that it’s crucial for Finland as an ally to help build icebreakers since Finland makes up about 60% of the world’s icebreakers.
