President Alexander Stubb held a press conference in London early Sunday evening Finnish time after arriving from the United States, where he met with President Donald Trump a day earlier.
Stubb is to meet with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday. The topics on their official agenda include aid to Ukraine and ending Russia's war of aggression, along with bilateral relations.
However, the main focus is likely to be Stubb's unofficial meeting with Trump, during which the two discussed current foreign policy issues, especially Ukraine.
Stubb told reporters that the surprise meeting was a continuation of a week and a half of talks that began with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Finland.
Seven hours with Trump
He said that there had been long-running plans for him to meet with Trump, and that an opportunity for it opened up for Saturday.
"The invitation and date were only confirmed on Thursday, so we left at the last minute," Stubb said.
Stubb said he spent seven hours with Trump, who was in a good mood.
"He did not have any direct message [for me], other than perhaps very positive views of Finland," Stubb said.
Their discussion ranged from icebreakers and forests to the Winter and Continuation wars of 1939-44, Nato membership, and above all, the fact that Europe must take responsibility for its own security. According to Stubb, Washington’s message to Europe is that its role is changing, but the US is not leaving Nato.
Pre-meeting prep with key European allies
Before the trip, Stubb says he spoke with key allies, including Zelensky, Starmer, France's Emmanuel Macron, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte, all of the Nordic prime ministers and the EU leadership.
"The meeting was useful and we had two themes. The first was bilateral relations between Finland and the United States and the second was Ukraine – especially Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine," said Stubb.
In his view, US-Finnish relations are still on solid ground.
"They have been built over many years, and the culmination point was our Nato membership and the subsequent Defence Cooperation Agreement," he added.
According to Stubb, Trump was well aware of Finland's contribution and that Finland serves as a ‘security provider’ within Nato.
"A ceasefire must be achieved"
"I conveyed Finland's and Europe's strong support for Ukraine in Russia's war of aggression. And [that] there has only been one initiator in this war of aggression."
According to Stubb, Trump asked him whether Putin could be trusted.
"I replied that he couldn't."
Stubb says he stressed that a ceasefire must be achieved – and that a firm date is needed. According to him, Finland's perspective is that 20 April would be a suitable date for a full ceasefire without any conditions.
"Why 20 April? Because we need a deadline, because it's Easter, and because President Donald Trump will then have been in office for three months," he said.
A strong sanctions mechanism is needed as an incentive for a ceasefire, which should be in place if Russia does not accept the ceasefire or violates it, Stubb said.
"I talked about this with President Trump and [Republican Senator] Lindsey Graham, the architect of the sanctions package. And he will propose this in the United States in the near future, with the backing of about 50 senators," he said.
Stubb was asked what Trump thought of these sanctions.
"Senator Graham and President Trump have a close relationship. Of course, not everything Senator Graham is planning will come to fruition. But I got the impression that patience [with Russia] is also running out on the part of the United States – which I think is a good thing," he replied.
"[Trump] is quite impatient with Russia's actions, this kind of scheming and delaying regarding the ceasefire. I tried to explain that this is completely normal Russian behaviour. First we negotiate something – and then the conditions are changed once again."
Finland as a messenger between Europe and US
Stubb said he conveyed to Trump that Europe intends to continue imposing sanctions. He also asserted that Russia only understands force, which requires sanctions and the use of frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine.
On Monday, Stubb meets with Starmer, who he says will play a leading role in the ‘coalition of the willing’, along with Macron and incoming German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
"At the moment, I see Finland's role more in being able to articulate the messages of Europeans to the United States and the messages of the Americans to Europeans," said Stubb.
Besides defence and military spending, the presidents discussed possible US orders for Finnish icebreakers.
"President Trump independently raised the icebreaker idea several times during the day, and that is a good thing for Finland," said Stubb.
"Perhaps one can draw a conclusion from the day we spent together that the relationship between Finland and the United States certainly took another step forward," said Stubb.