President of the Republic of Finland Alexander Stubb (L) and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky attend a press conference in Kyiv, Ukraine, on February 24, 2025. Photo: Heikki Saukkomaa / Lehtikuva
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President Alexander Stubb of Finland held separate phone calls on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, reaffirming Finland’s support for Ukraine and calling for tighter sanctions on Russia.
Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Stubb said the war in Ukraine must end and that Ukraine has remained constructive in negotiations. He urged both the U.S. Congress and the European Union to impose stronger economic pressure on Russia.
“Europe is united as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine,” Stubb wrote. “Our close cooperation between Allies and partners will continue.”
The Finnish president also acknowledged U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal for their efforts in supporting Ukraine. Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, had hosted Stubb and Trump during a golf event at Trump’s Florida resort in March. Stubb previously studied in Graham’s home state on a golf scholarship.
Since Trump’s return to the presidency in January, Stubb has emerged as one of the EU leaders with the most regular contact with him, reportedly to communicate Europe’s stance on the Ukraine conflict and potential paths toward peace. Stubb last spoke with Trump and Zelensky just over two weeks ago.
Meanwhile in Brussels, Finland’s Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen joined a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), where more than 50 defence ministers convened to coordinate support for Ukraine. The UDCG is a U.S.-initiated but NATO-led coalition focused on delivering military assistance to Kyiv.
Notably absent from Wednesday’s meeting was U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is scheduled to participate in a separate NATO defence ministers’ session in Brussels on Thursday.
Häkkänen, who also met Hegseth last weekend during a security conference in Singapore, said the alliance faces a need for “significant additional investments” to meet evolving security threats.
“The meeting will focus on new capability targets that demand long-term investment, expanded personnel and a broader defence industry base,” Häkkänen said in a government statement ahead of Thursday’s session.
Finland joined NATO in 2023 and has steadily increased its defence commitments and coordination with the alliance, citing the proximity of Russian forces and the continuing war in Ukraine.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
