Europe will be able to achieve its defense goals and complete the rearmament necessary to deter Russia within the next five years. Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated this in an interview with The Times, adding that U.S. President Donald Trump is “100% committed to defending NATO allies.”
Source: Gazeta.UA
“Russia will agree to serious negotiations on a ceasefire in Ukraine only when it is forced to make concessions due to economic difficulties,” Stubb emphasized.
He noted that Trump could use the positive momentum from his Middle East peace plan to help bring about an end to the war, but Moscow will not come to the negotiating table voluntarily.
Two-Stage Peace Plan
The Finnish leader proposed a gradual peace plan for Ukraine, which includes:
First stage — a ceasefire, prisoner exchanges, and the return of Ukrainian children abducted by Russia.
Second stage — negotiations on territorial issues and the withdrawal of Russian troops.
At the same time, Stubb allowed for the gradual easing of Western sanctions against Russia if Moscow fulfills its obligations, following the model of economic integration that Trump applied in his Middle East peace initiatives.
“If we start with a ceasefire and then consider the gradual lifting of sanctions as the price for troop withdrawal — I see an opportunity in that,” the Finnish president said.
Economic Pressure and New Financial Initiatives
Stubb emphasized the need to lower the EU’s price cap on Russian oil imports to limit the Kremlin’s revenues. He also supported the idea of providing Ukraine with a €140 billion loan secured by frozen Russian assets.
“This will change the rules of the game. Russia’s military reserves are running dry, and they know it very well,” Stubb stressed.
When asked about the downing of Russian drones in Finland’s airspace, he added:
“We are not at war with Russia.”
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