3 Takeaways From The Times's Interview With Finland's President
President Alexander Stubb of Finland has become a surprise player in President Trump's pursuit of an agreement to end Russia's war against Ukraine.
He golfed with Mr. Trump in Palm Beach last month, using his borderline-pro skills to help the president win a tournament and his time on the course to share his views on Russia and Ukraine. He sat next to Mr. Trump at Pope Francis' funeral in Vatican City this weekend, after the U.S. president met in St. Peter's Basilica with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, someone Mr. Stubb speaks to regularly.
Perhaps more than any other country, Finland can empathize with the peril of Ukraine's position in peace talks. In the 1940s, the Finns were forced to give up land to the Kremlin, agree to neutrality and accept limits on their military — the same demands Russia is making of Ukraine. Finland operated under those strictures for almost half a century.
Mr. Stubb sat with The New York Times in the city of Hameenlinna, Finland, on Sunday. Here are some key takeaways:
Ukraine Must Avoid 'Finlandization'
Mr. Stubb rejected suggestions that Ukraine submit to what political scientists call 'Finlandization' — a smaller country, despite retaining its independence and domestic political system, being forced to cede some of its autonomy to a more powerful neighbor. He emphasized how the arrangement eroded Helsinki's sovereignty and held back the country for decades, as Finns wanted to be with the West.
'I would never bestow upon another state the predicament of a larger player determining some of the key elements of who you are as a country,' he said.
The Finnish president noted that nationhood consists of land, sovereignty and independence, and Finland lost control over two of the three, retaining only its independence. He wants Ukraine to have a better fate.
'The truth is that, in a war, there are never winners — there are only losers,' Mr. Stubb said. 'And the question is, how much do you lose? And we are trying to minimize the damage for Ukraine.'
Trump Is Running Out of Patience
Having seen Mr. Trump in Vatican City, the Finnish president reiterated what he had said after golfing with the American leader last month: Mr. Trump is getting fed up.
Mr. Trump, who promised on the campaign trail last year to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in a day, has held phone calls with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and sent his envoys to negotiate a deal. But the Kremlin has given little, as Russian forces have continued to advance on the battlefield.
'The president is running out of patience, and we've now seen statements which are quite tough on Putin and Russia,' Mr. Stubb said. 'So I just hope the Kremlin understands that you don't play with President Trump.'
He said Mr. Trump's diminished patience could 'actually then move things in the right direction' by forcing Russia to stop delaying.
The Finnish leader left Vatican City on Saturday a 'tad more optimistic' about the prospects for a peace deal. He says he believes that 'with a little bit of creative writing,' wording can be found to stop the killing in Ukraine, even reflecting differences such as the U.S. willingness to recognize Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the European refusal, in separate annexes.
At some point, he added, Ukraine and Russia will need to negotiate directly.
Putin Understands Only Power
Mr. Stubb said the most important next step to move the process along was for the United States and its allies to step up pressure on Mr. Putin.
So far, he is stringing Washington along, Mr. Stubb warned, noting that the Russian leader would 'play a cat-and-mouse game to the bitter end.'
'Everyone has to understand that the only thing that Putin understands is power,' Mr. Stubb said. 'I mean, there's a reason why Finland has one of the strongest militaries in Europe, and the reason is not Sweden.'
Russia shares an 835-mile border with Finland, and by Mr. Stubb's count, has fought 30 wars or skirmishes against the Finns since the 1300s.
'Right now, politically, the key is to maximize the pressure on Putin,' he said.
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