All of Europe's heavyweights had gathered at the White House negotiating table on Monday. Leaders from France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, NATO, and the EU were present around Ukraine's and the USA's presidents.
But Finland's flag was also hanging there.
You look better than ever, Trump exclaimed when he caught sight of his Finnish colleague.
Some in the international media may wonder why a small country like Finland is here, Alexander Stubb modestly noted, and then reminded them of Finland's history:
We have our own experience of Russia, from World War II, the Winter War, and the Continuation War.
”Not alone”
At the end of the Winter War in 1940, Finland was forced to give up about ten percent of its territory to its neighbor, including Karelia, where the Stubb family has its roots. This may have contributed to his strong commitment.
The difference is that Finland was alone back then. Ukraine is not alone now, Stubb recently told CNN.
His image as a "Trump whisperer" emerged quickly after the change of power in the USA in January. The 57-year-old Stubb is said to be good at golf, and in March, the Finn became the first Nordic leader to visit the new-old American president on his home turf, Mar-a-Lago in Florida, and played a round.
You learn a person's personality after the first hole, Stubb has stated in an interview with Dagens Industri.
”Straight to the point”
Foreign media, such as Politico, have since appointed him "Europe's special envoy for Trump". And Lindsey Graham, a well-known senator close to the US president, calls Stubb "a contact wire, a bridge, between Europe and Trump". According to the WSJ, Graham and Stubb sometimes talk several times a day.
I would say that Alex has been active daily – via SMS, with insights, good advice, says Graham.
People know that we Finns do not have any hidden agenda, and that we speak straight to the point, Stubb told The Wall Street Journal at the end of July.
I can tell Trump how Europeans and Zelenskyj think, and then I can tell my European colleagues how Trump thinks.
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57 years old.
Has roots in, among other places, Vyborg, which is now in Russia, but was born and grew up in Helsinki.
His father was a talent scout for the North American hockey league NHL, and Alexander Stubb became interested in the USA at an early age. Lived in South Carolina in the 1980s, where he studied at Furman University and almost became a golf pro.
Began a political career by being elected to the European Parliament in 2004. Had several different ministerial posts from 2008 onwards, was Prime Minister 2014-15.
President since March 1, 2024.
