Donald Trump should be taken seriously when he talks about ending the war in Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb told Bloomberg on Nov. 12.
Trump secured victory in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, adding further uncertainty for Ukraine regarding the future of Western military aid, and its defense against the ongoing Russian full-scale invasion.
But after a call with Trump on Nov. 11, Stubb said his intentions after taking office in January 2025 are clear.
"We in Europe and the rest of the world need to understand that Donald Trump is very serious about getting a peace deal sooner rather than later," he said.
"There’s a window of opportunity for these negotiations between the election and inauguration day."
Trump has repeatedly promised to end the war "in 24 hours," and though he hasn't yet elaborated a plan, it is largely expected to involve Ukraine ceding land to Russia.
In his interview with Bloomberg, Stubb gave four prerequisites for peace in Ukraine, which include territory, where "we don’t know where things are going to settle," security guarantees, justice and the "low-hanging fruit… reconstruction."
In a sign of shifting from his predecessor’s foreign policy course, Trump is expected to name Republican Senator Marco Rubio as the next U.S. secretary of state.
Rubio said on air shortly after Trump’s victory that Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine has reached a "stalemate" and "needs to be brought to a conclusion.”
He also voted against the U.S’ $61 billion aid package for Ukraine which was eventually passed in April 2024.
Boldizsar Gyori
