Finnish President Alexander Stubb played golf with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday during a surprise, unofficial trip to Florida that included discussions about Ukraine and icebreaker ships.
“The presidents met over breakfast, played a round of golf and had lunch together,” the Finnish presidency said in a statement. “During the visit, the presidents discussed among other things the relations between Finland and the United States, and current foreign and security policy issues including Ukraine.”
Both Trump and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham praised Stubb’s golf skills.
Stubb’s trip comes as the Trump administration is trying to negotiate a ceasefire in Ukraine. Finland — a new NATO member and one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies — shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia.
The Finnish president, who met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy earlier this month, is pitching himself to become a European envoy for Ukraine who would get a seat at the negotiating table. Stubb expressed skepticism about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s intentions to actually agree and abide by a ceasefire.
Trump and Stubb are both looking forward to “strengthening the partnership” between their two countries, the U.S. president posted on Truth Social.
“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 said.
In November last year, under the Biden administration, the U.S., Canada and Finland signed a memorandum of understanding to build Arctic and polar icebreakers.
Icebreakers are critical to navigate in the Arctic area, which is increasingly strategic for the U.S., Russia and China. Moscow currently operates the world’s largest fleet icebreakers, but Finland is a leader in design and construction.
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