Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Tuesday that Donald Trump had “done good” for NATO and considered that the United States “certainly” remained a partner in the Arctic, in an interview with AFP during which he delivered his analysis of a world plagued by repeated tremors.
Since the American president's return to power, Europeans have been constantly searching for the best way to deal with the Republican billionaire. Alexander Stubb, who has led Finland since March 2024, is regularly presented as a privileged interlocutor and a possible relay between Washington and European capitals.
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And for good reason: the 58-year-old leader has the double advantage of having already played golf with Donald Trump, and of leading a country bordering Russia. “I don’t want to exaggerate the importance of my role or my relationship with the President of the United States,” he confided to AFP.
“Pragmatic relationship”
“And the reason is very simple: I come from a small state, and it represents a superpower.” On a host of issues, such as Ukraine, the leader of this country of 5.6 million inhabitants has nevertheless been directly associated with Donald Trump's conversations with major European powers. His next exchange with the American president is scheduled for next week, during a reception organized by Donald Trump, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
“The relationship is very pragmatic, but let's not have any illusions. As we know, President Trump is a man who does as he pleases,” said the leader from his residence in Helsinki. An example to illustrate this: on September 9, Google announced with great fanfare an investment of 13 billion euros in projects related to AI in Finland.
On Monday, the American president published a furious message on his social network. “I'm not happy with this and I want them to change their minds,” thunders Donald Trump, unhappy that these investments are being made outside the United States. This mega-investment will do “a lot of good for bilateral relations between the United States and Finland,” says Mr. Stubb.
There is also the question of Greenland. Donald Trump's desires towards the autonomous Danish territory caused a major crisis between allies at the start of the year. “I understand that all this political rhetoric makes people uncomfortable and, of course, we are 100% on the side of Denmark, there is no doubt about it,” said the Finnish president. “But if you look at the other side of the coin, I think the Americans finally understand the importance of the Arctic.”
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Convinced Europhile
In the same way, this convinced Europhile believes that Donald Trump has “done good for NATO”, despite his almost daily criticism of the Atlantic Alliance. “It has done good for NATO, in the sense that member states have increased their defense spending,” assures the leader. “For a frontline country like Finland, this is a good thing.”
Let's talk about Russia. Mr Stubb's predecessor, Sauli Niinistö, boasted of his close ties to Putin, maintaining rumors that he had met the Russian president more often than any other European leader. “We are trying to help Ukrainians as best we can. We also maintain active communication channels with American negotiators,” explains Alexander Stubb.
The idea of appointing a European “special envoy” to speak with one voice on this conflict – his name had even been circulated – however appears to be over. “You know, I think it is quite clear that Europe will not speak with one voice,” he confides. He always pleads for a “firm response” from Europeans to the hybrid war led by Russia on the continent.
"I think it's safe to say that the line between war and peace has become blurred, and it's this new reality that we have to deal with in Europe today." However, with a very Nordic recommendation. “I always advise people to adopt the Finnish method: stay calm, calm and in control, do a sauna, take a good bath, analyze the situation and act accordingly.”
