Washington hosted a pivotal meeting Friday where Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, alongside European leaders and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, joined US President Donald Trump to discuss ending Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Stubb representing Finland—a NATO member with an 830-mile border with Russia—described the talks as a united effort between Europe and the US to support Ukraine.
The day began with European leaders strategizing before Zelenskyy’s bilateral meeting with Trump. Over four hours discussions focused on next steps, culminating in three key outcomes. First, concrete work began on security guarantees for Ukraine, coordinated between Europe and the US.
Second, Trump proposed a bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin, a plan tested during a 40-minute call with Putin, who agreed to the idea. Third, if successful this could lead to trilateral meeting involving Trump, Zelenskyy, and Putin, though Stubb cautioned that dealing with Putin carries uncertainties.
Stubb emphasized Ukraine’s fight for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, drawing parallels to Finland’s history. After World War II Finland retained independence but lost territory and sovereignty to the Soviet Union. Stubb’s family hails from regions ceded to Russia, making the issue personal. He stressed that unlike Finland’s past isolation, Ukraine has robust support from Europe and US.
Despite Trump’s optimism about negotiating with Putin, Stubb warned that Putin’s goals remain unchanged: elevating Russia as superpower, dividing the West and denying Ukraine’s sovereignty. With over a thousand daily casualties in the conflict diplomatic efforts aim to halt Russia’s aggression. But Stubb underscored the need for vigilance given Putin’s territorial ambitions seen in Georgia and Ukraine.
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The meeting marked a step forward with leaders committed to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and pushing for ceasefire though challenges remain in trusting Putin’s intentions.
