Finnish leader Alexander Stubb expressed optimism for U.S.-led peace talks regarding Ukraine during the Davos forum, believing President Trump has a strong interest in achieving a successful outcome. Trump is in discussions with Ukrainian President Zelensky and plans to talk with Russian President Putin, hinting at potential new sanctions against Russia if negotiations fail. Stubb emphasized the necessity of upholding Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in any agreement, highlighting the challenges ahead for the Trump administration.
Alexander Stubb’s Optimism for U.S.-Led Peace Talks
During the Davos forum on January 22, Finnish conservative leader Alexander Stubb expressed a hopeful outlook regarding potential peace negotiations in Ukraine, led by U.S. President Donald Trump. Stubb believes that Trump has a vested interest in emerging from these discussions with a favorable outcome. “I am actually quite optimistic because Trump needs to come out winning, and I believe he will,” stated Stubb when queried about the possible results of negotiations that the American president might pursue at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland.
Trump Suggests New Sanctions May Be Imminent
Donald Trump announced that he is currently in dialogue with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and plans to engage with Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly. This comes as part of efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict that erupted following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
The American leader indicated that if Russia does not engage in negotiations to end the war, new sanctions against Moscow are highly probable. “That seems likely,” Trump mentioned during a White House press conference on January 21, asserting that “the war would never have happened if I had been president” at the time. Additionally, he noted that the U.S. would continue to evaluate military support for Ukraine, which has totaled tens of billions of dollars since the onset of the invasion. “We are talking to Ukrainian President Zelensky,” he said. “We will be speaking very soon with President Putin, and we will see what happens.”
Stubb acknowledged the challenges ahead, remarking, “I do not envy the Trump administration if they want to reach an agreement within a period of three to six months,” a reflection on Trump’s earlier bold claim that he could resolve the conflict in just 24 hours.
Key Principles for Lasting Peace in Ukraine
Stubb emphasized the importance of ensuring that any negotiations consider three fundamental principles: the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He stressed the need to persuade both Trump and China, which holds sway over Russia, to adhere to these principles. “This last point is more complicated, I admit, but I do not think we should yield on this issue either,” he added.
“The starting point for us is: no peace without Ukraine, and no peace without Europe,” he further asserted, reinforcing his stance as a dedicated European leader advocating for a firm position against Moscow. He cautioned against the potential backlash that could arise six months after an agreement, where those who brokered the deal might face accusations of abandoning Ukraine. Finland, which shares a border of nearly 1,300 kilometers with Russia, joined NATO on April 4, 2024, largely in response to the Russian aggression, thus ending decades of neutrality.