Donald Trump stands as the "exclusive individual who can pressure" Russian leader Vladimir Putin to engage in peace talks about the military engagement in Ukraine, the Finnish president has asserted.
Alexander Stubb also mentioned that Finland would never recognize annexed Crimea as part of Russia, and that he aimed to secure Ukraine evolved into an EU and hopefully NATO member after the hostilities were over.
Ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's meeting with Trump at the White House on Friday, where he told the US president: "I believe we can terminate this military engagement with your help."
Meanwhile, Trump announced that Putin has accepted to meet in person with him in Hungary.
Peace Efforts and Economic Pressure
The US commander-in-chief remarked on Friday that Putin "desires to get it concluded. I believe that President Zelensky seeks to get it ended. Now we have to get it accomplished".
Zelensky stated at the White House that Ukraine was ready to engage in whichever format and desired peace, but argued that Putin needed to be "pressured" into terminating the war.
Stubb shared that Trump had previously asked him - while playing a game of golf - whether he could rely on Putin; and Stubb's answer was no.
"What is needed is not mainly the effectiveness of the incentive to influence Russia to the negotiating table, it's more the coercion that will compel them.
"So you have to pressure Russia to arrive to the negotiating table for peace and that's the agreement President Trump is trying to establish."
Economic Sanctions and Strategic Factors
Stubb was positive about Trump's capacity, stating he thought peace talks had presumably progressed more in the last eight months during Trump's presidency than in the preceding three years.
Russia took control of the Crimean peninsula in 2014 and began a full-scale attack of Ukraine in 2022.
Stubb stressed that Finland would under no circumstances acknowledge Crimea, or the areas of Donetsk or Luhansk, as Russian. Russia occupies 70% of Donetsk and virtually all of adjacent Luhansk.
He asserted "the only ones who can determine on the land issue are the Ukrainians themselves".
"I aim to make certain that Ukraine, when this war is concluded, retains its independence, maintains its sovereignty - in other words evolves into an EU participating nation and hopefully a NATO member - and additionally upholds its sovereign borders. That is what we are all working towards right now," Stubb remarked.
Financial Challenges and Future Outlook
Stubb pointed out that Russia's economy - smaller than Italy's - was facing challenges, with the country's resources depleted, growth "pretty much around zero", and inflation elevated to between 10% and 20%.
Stubb recommended economic sanctions should be employed to bring Russia to the table, especially giving €200bn worth of seized Russian resources to Ukraine as a advance that would remain there if Russia did not pay damages after peace talks.
He additionally wanted to see transfers of Russian oil and gas to Europe - which have decreased by 80% - cut off. Measures could be placed on countries that acquire Russian oil and gas, he commented, in combined with the recent European measures aimed at Russia.
Strategic Assessment and Conflict Resolution Initiative
Stubb declared "each of the tactical maneuvers of Putin have been an utter setback". Russia had been ineffective in trying to occupy Ukraine, to divide Europe and to separate NATO, with two new members - Finland and Sweden - added conversely.
He stated Europe's "partnership of the eager" was prepared to offer protection guarantees to Ukraine, with the key assistance in the air, on the maritime areas and with information.
But they required a safety net from the US, especially in air defenses, intelligence and operations, he commented.
Stubb shared he hoped to see some outcomes from a two-phase peace process - the primary a ceasefire to end the killing and the following an continued peace procedure - "in coming days and weeks".
"We shall keep on pursuing it. The essential is to participate and seek to identify solutions and be pragmatic. In diplomacy you consistently have to deal with the world as it exists, not what you would wish it to be, but let's achieve peace."
