President Donald Trump discussed the issue of Ukraine with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb on Saturday, according to the Finnish leader’s office, amid President Trump's efforts to reach a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The two met for an unofficial visit over breakfast, a round of golf, and lunch, according to a readout from Stubb’s office, as President Trump spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
The United States previously announced pauses in attacks on energy infrastructure and in the Black Sea between the warring nations, although both countries have been accused of breaking these agreements. While Ukraine indicated it would agree to a ceasefire, Russia has yet to follow suit without conditions.
“Our message to the United States is that we will work together with Ukraine to achieve a full ceasefire and a lasting peace,” Stubb shared on X in part after meeting with European leaders earlier in the week.
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Stubb has called Trump a “seasoned negotiator” and described a ceasefire as the first step toward peace but previously called for potential pressure on Russia.
“Ukraine accepted a ceasefire without any forms of conditions. If Russia refuses to agree, we need to increase our efforts to strengthen Ukraine and ratchet up pressure on Russia to convince them to come to the negotiating table,” Stubb said earlier in the month after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“If we can get it stopped, and I think we’re making progress, but there’s a lot of ill will between the parties,” President Trump said on Friday, referencing the death toll among Ukrainians and Russians from the conflict.
President Trump indicated a desire to strengthen the partnership between the U.S. and Finland, including the purchase of more icebreakers.
“President Stubb and I look forward to strengthening the partnership between the United States and Finland, and that includes the purchase and development of a large number of badly needed icebreakers for the U.S., delivering peace and international security for our countries and the world,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
This comment comes as President Trump has focused on the U.S. role in Greenland, suggesting that the U.S. needs it for security purposes. Vice President JD Vance visited a military base in the country on Friday.
Vance rejected that there were immediate plans to expand the US military presence, but said, “Are there general objectives that we want to accomplish that will certainly require us investing more resources, investing in additional military icebreakers, investing in additional naval ships that will have a greater presence in Greenland? Absolutely.”
President Trump was also expected to meet with Ecuador’s president over the weekend, according to a White House source.
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