Finland President, Alexander Stubb on Sunday said President Donald Trump has become impatient with Russia as to the proposed ceasefire with Ukraine.
Stubb addressed the press in London after his trip to the United States where he played golf with Trump and discussed foreign and security policy issues.
The Finnish leader stated that President Vladmir Putin can not be trusted, accusing the Russian leader of slowing the process to reach a truce.
“[Trump] is quite impatient with Russia's actions, this kind of scheming and delaying regarding the ceasefire,” Finland's state media YLE quoted.
“I tried to explain that this is completely normal Russian behaviour. First we negotiate something – and then the conditions are changed once again.”
Stubb disclosed that he assured Trump of his country's and Europe's “strong support for Ukraine in Russia's war of aggression.”
The president wants sanctions imposed on Russia for the three-year invasion, saying “There has only been one initiator in this war of aggression.”
He said if Russia does not accept the ceasefire or violates it if finally agreed, a punitive mechanism should be adopted “as an incentive.”
Stubb commended the Finnish-U.S. alliance built over many years, and culminated in Finland's NATO membership as well as a Defence Cooperation Agreement.
The president will on Monday meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer for talks on bilateral relations and other issues including the Russia-Ukraine war and NATO.
