Finland president: No indications of Trump withdrawing from Russia-Ukraine talks
The Finnish president made the remarks in an interview with NHK in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Trump has warned that he might step back from the ceasefire talks if he sees no progress.
Stubb said he speaks frequently with Trump over the telephone, and that he has not "seen any indications of" Trump withdrawing from the negotiations.
He said Trump wants a peace agreement and is trying to persuade Putin to work toward it.
In March, Trump and Stubb held talks in the United States where they also played a round of golf.
Referring to Russia's refusal of an unconditional ceasefire proposal, the president said the only way is "to make the alternative cost of Russia to continue the war too high."
Stubb indicated Western countries need to boost their sanctions against Moscow, adding that the war is not going to end until President Vladimir Putin "realizes that his economy is not going to last."
Stubb added that even if a ceasefire is reached, Finland has "no plans of sending troops on the ground right now." He said, "Our job is basically to provide the deterrence up in the northeastern part of Europe."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Times
8 minutes ago
- Japan Times
Trump releases message on WWII victory over Japan
U.S. President Donald Trump has released a message regarding the 80th anniversary of the country's victory over Japan in World War II, stating that "the Japanese Empire was defeated" and the world was "spared from the oppressive clutches of destruction and tyranny." In the message, released Thursday, Trump praised American troops' "sacrifice and bravery" in "the deadliest war in human history" and pledged to maintain his administration's foreign policy of "peace through strength" to ensure that the United States remains "the greatest country on earth." Japan "has become our strongest ally in the Pacific" and hosts more than 50,000 American troops who stand guard against "new totalitarian regimes and their expansive ambitions," he said, underscoring the importance of U.S.-Japan relations. The message also noted that "peace is never promised, but is earned through sacrifice, defended with strength." In February, Trump issued a statement marking 80 years since the Battle of Iwo Jima, a fierce battle between Japan and the United States on the Pacific island of Ioto in the late stage of WWII. In May, he issued a presidential proclamation to designate May 8 as the Victory Day for WWII. In the war, Nazi Germany surrendered to the U.S.-led Allied powers on May 8, 1945. In the proclamation, Trump did not touch on the United States' battles with Japan during the war.
Yomiuri Shimbun
38 minutes ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
GDP Increase / Impact of High U.S. Tariffs Mitigated for the Time Being
Although the impact of the high tariff policy of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has been limited, sluggish personal consumption due to rising prices remains a concern. It will be important for companies to formulate aggressive investment strategies and continue substantial wage increases. The real gross domestic product for the April-June quarter increased by an annualized 1.0% from the previous quarter, according to a preliminary report. The January-March quarter was revised from negative to positive, marking five consecutive quarters of positive growth. In April, the U.S. government imposed 10% 'reciprocal' tariffs, with an additional 25% tariff on automobiles, raising concerns about adverse effects. However, Japanese automakers lowered export prices and focused on maintaining export volume rather than securing profits. As a result, overall exports increased by 2.0%. Capital investment rose by 1.3%, driven by robust investment in software to advance digitalization. Thanks to the efforts of companies to mitigate the impact of Trump's tariffs, the latest GDP data apparently confirmed that the Japanese economy is on a moderate recovery track. In late July, the United States and Japan reached a tariff agreement, which has somewhat dispelled the uncertainty about the future. Buoyed by the agreement, the Nikkei stock average has hit a record high and is now at the 43,000 level. The stock market rally is a tailwind for a growth-oriented economy in which both wages and investment are increasing. Companies need to proceed with domestic investment and wage increases. The government should strongly urge the U.S. government to determine the timing for lowering its automobile tariffs and other details at an early stage. However, there are many points to watch out for. Personal consumption, which accounts for more than half of the GDP, increased by only 0.2% from the previous quarter due to sluggish sales of beverages and other items. This suggests that households remain keen on saving. Although the impact of the U.S. high tariff policy has been temporarily mitigated, the burden on companies will increase as this policy continues. If automakers and other companies continue to absorb tariff costs, their profits will be squeezed. Eventually, they will have no choice but to raise prices to offset the tariffs. If that occurs, their price competitiveness in the United States will decline, and there is a possibility that consumers will refrain from purchasing their products due to the price hikes. Trump's tariff policy is difficult to predict. It is also necessary to be aware of the risk of global economic growth slowing down. To achieve a strong Japanese economy that is not swayed by external demand, focus should be placed on stable growth driven by domestic demand. To overcome prolonged high prices and stimulate consumption, it is essential for companies to continue to raise wages substantially. It is hoped that the government will promote investment and improve profitability through such means as labor-saving measures and digitalization to alleviate labor shortages and create an environment that is conducive to wage increases. (From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 16, 2025)
Japan Times
2 hours ago
- Japan Times
‘Dear neighbor': A red carpet for Putin, no ceasefire for Trump
What Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump shared in the back of the U.S. presidential limousine on the short ride to their longest on-the-record meeting will likely remain a mystery. There was a lot the two presidents left unsaid at the end of an inconclusive Alaska summit — most notably, they made no mention of a ceasefire in Russia's war in Ukraine, Trump's stated goal in going into the talks. Their get-together was capped by one of the shortest news conferences Trump has ever held. The much-anticipated event was surprising for the lack of fireworks and the unusual restraint of a free-wheeling president who'd been upstaged by Putin in Helsinki seven years ago. This time, they took no questions from the packed room of journalists in Anchorage, leaving them to wonder about the details of the tantalizing agreement the pair had mentioned but kept under wraps. The fear going in had been that Ukraine would get sold out. The implication going out was that Trump planned to relay a message that Kyiv and European allies didn't want to hear as he made his way back to Washington on Air Force One. "I'm going to start making a few phone calls and tell them what happened, but we had an extremely productive meeting,' Trump said. "Many points were agreed to. There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant, one is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there. We didn't get there but we have a very good chance of getting there.' In the moment, Ukraine's worst fears weren't realized — Trump didn't give anything away, at least publicly. But that sentiment could change quickly over the weekend as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy starts piecing together what Trump and Putin hashed out in that nearly three-hour meeting. What exactly were the outstanding points of issue? Russian leader Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands during a joint news conference at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. | BLOOMBERG There were plenty of intimations of Russian contentment. Putin seized the initiative by speaking first at the podium alongside Trump, typically the privilege of the host. The Russian leader spoke of an "understanding' that he and Trump had reached that he said may even open the door to ending the war that he'd started. Then Putin issued a warning. "We expect that Kyiv and the European capitals will take all this in a constructive manner and will not put up any obstacles, will not attempt to disrupt the planned progress through provocations or backstage intrigues,' he said. There was little solace for Ukraine in an interview Trump then gave to Fox News' Sean Hannity, in which he explicitly put the ball in Zelenskyy's court to "get it done.' He said he might be at a meeting between the Ukrainian leader and Putin, but didn't entirely commit, and still he offered no details of what had been discussed. "There's one or two pretty significant items but I think they can be reached,' Trump said. "It's really up to President Zelenskyy to get it done. And I would also say the European nations, they have to get involved a little bit.' John Herbst, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, said Trump may well tell his allies "to keep their mouth shut' once he briefs them on the secret details of the meeting with Putin. That will be hard for them to do, especially if the U.K., France and Germany conclude that Ukraine is about to be told to accept a bad deal. "We're in the early stage of a poker game,' said Benjamin Jensen, a senior fellow for the Defense and Security Department at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. By inviting the Russian president onto American soil and giving him an audience, Trump had already delivered a diplomatic win for the strongman leader who became an international pariah for ordering the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Putin, by all accounts, has ceded nothing in return. The shadows of U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are cast during a news conference following their meeting to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine, at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. | REUTERS Trump had talked a big game in the lead-up to the summit, saying that he'd know in an instant whether Putin was serious and that he wouldn't hesitate to walk out if he wasn't convinced. In the end he walked down the red carpet — not always in a straight line — and clapped as a jaunty Putin walked over to grab his hand. Perhaps taking stock of the lessons of previous encounters, when the two were left unsupervised without note takers or aides, the White House announced that top aides would join Putin and Trump for their sit-down this time. And yet minutes after the two leaders got off the tarmac, Putin was spotted beaming from inside the "Beast," as the armored limousine is known, seated alone with Trump. The U.S. president appeared solicitous of his guest, urging Putin to walk ahead as they stepped off a podium in front of reporters. The Russian leader had made a point of showing he couldn't hear questions lobbed at him. "President Putin, will you stop killing civilians?' one reporter shouted. Putin put his hand up to his ear but didn't answer. Those private 10 minutes were all the time Putin needed to feel the flight across the Bering Strait had been worth it. He was in Alaska, the U.S. state the Russian czar had sold to the Americans more than 150 years ago, for about as long as the flight over: four hours. His pool reporters were treated to "Chicken Kiev" (pointedly spelled the Russian way) along the way. Putin's veteran foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, played his part by arriving in Anchorage in jeans and a white sweater emblazoned with USSR in black Cyrillic letters. Earlier in the day, Trump had made of point of saying he'd consulted with Belarus's autocratic leader, Alexander Lukashenko. U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin speak after a joint news conference following a U.S.-Russia summit on Ukraine at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska, on Friday. | Sputnik / POOL / VIA AFP-JIJI That was an alarming signal for many traditional U.S. allies. Dubbed "the last dictator in Europe' by the Republican administration of President George W. Bush, Lukashenko is Putin's closest ally and under international sanctions, including by the U.S. None of that seemed to bother Trump, who said they'd had a "wonderful' chat. Putin laid the flattery on thick in Anchorage, putting the focus firmly on the relationship with the U.S. as Russia's neighbor separated by a only a few kilometers of water across the Bering Strait. "When we met, we got off the planes, I said 'good afternoon, dear neighbor, it's very nice to see you in good health and alive.' And it sounds very neighborly, in my opinion, kind,' he told the assembled reporters. "We are close neighbors, that is a fact.' He made little reference to the Ukrainian neighbor that Russia invaded. In a day punctuated by memorable images though ultimately wrapped in enigma, there was a telling moment of clarity. Putin, in power for more than a quarter of a century, has studied English but rarely resorts to speaking it in public. Even before he landed in Alaska, it was clear that Putin was already angling for another meeting with Trump, this time on Russian soil. Just as he opened the briefing to reporters, he also found a way to close it. "Next time in Moscow,' Putin suggested in English. "Oh, that's an interesting one,' Trump replied. "I'll get a little heat on that one, but I could see it possibly happening.'
