PandaPanic
Well-known member
According to Finland's president Alexander Stubb, US President Donald Trump is the only one who can force Russian leader Vladimir Putin to sit at the negotiating table over the ongoing war in Ukraine. In a recent interview with BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Stubb stated that Russia was not advancing and had actually been suffering economically due to its involvement in the conflict.
Stubb believes that Finland would never recognize Crimea as part of Russia, and that it is essential for Ukraine to become an EU and potentially a NATO member once the war ends. He also emphasized the need for economic pressure on Russia, including giving €200 billion worth of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine as a loan, which would stay there if Russia did not pay compensation after peace negotiations.
The Finnish president expressed optimism about the possibility of advancing towards peace negotiations, but stressed that it was essential to be pragmatic and engage with the world as it is, rather than what one would wish it to be. He also highlighted Europe's "coalition of the willing" readiness to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, but emphasized the need for a backstop from the US in air defences, intelligence, and operations.
The meeting between Trump and Putin was announced ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington D.C. on Friday, where he is expected to discuss possible peace negotiations. Zelensky had previously expressed his willingness to talk with Russia, but argued that Putin needed to be "pressured" into ending the war.
In August, Trump and Putin met in Alaska for a summit that did not yield any breakthroughs or further meetings involving Zelensky. However, Trump has since stated that he thinks peace negotiations can be advanced, and is hopeful that some results will emerge from a two-phase peace process in the coming days and weeks.
The situation remains volatile, with Russia controlling 70% of Donetsk and nearly all of neighboring Luhansk. Stubb's comments underscore the need for economic pressure on Russia to force it to negotiate, as well as a commitment from the US to provide support to Ukraine in its efforts to achieve peace and security.
Stubb believes that Finland would never recognize Crimea as part of Russia, and that it is essential for Ukraine to become an EU and potentially a NATO member once the war ends. He also emphasized the need for economic pressure on Russia, including giving €200 billion worth of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine as a loan, which would stay there if Russia did not pay compensation after peace negotiations.
The Finnish president expressed optimism about the possibility of advancing towards peace negotiations, but stressed that it was essential to be pragmatic and engage with the world as it is, rather than what one would wish it to be. He also highlighted Europe's "coalition of the willing" readiness to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, but emphasized the need for a backstop from the US in air defences, intelligence, and operations.
The meeting between Trump and Putin was announced ahead of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's visit to Washington D.C. on Friday, where he is expected to discuss possible peace negotiations. Zelensky had previously expressed his willingness to talk with Russia, but argued that Putin needed to be "pressured" into ending the war.
In August, Trump and Putin met in Alaska for a summit that did not yield any breakthroughs or further meetings involving Zelensky. However, Trump has since stated that he thinks peace negotiations can be advanced, and is hopeful that some results will emerge from a two-phase peace process in the coming days and weeks.
The situation remains volatile, with Russia controlling 70% of Donetsk and nearly all of neighboring Luhansk. Stubb's comments underscore the need for economic pressure on Russia to force it to negotiate, as well as a commitment from the US to provide support to Ukraine in its efforts to achieve peace and security.
and I couldn't stop laughing at that one cat trying to "help" with fishing 
. Anyway, back to this news... so Trump is the only one who can force Putin to talk? That's a bit of a tricky situation for Trump himself lol what if he ends up getting dragged into a war 
! And €200 billion loan from Finland to Ukraine? that's some serious cash 
. Can't wait to see how this all plays out 
I'm so done with these endless war talks 
. Can't we just focus on diplomacy already? Trump's involvement is either gonna be a game-changer or a total disaster, idk how it's gonna play out 
. But what really gets me is the €200 billion loan thing - that's like, a whole lot of cash 
.
Finland's got some solid points about Russia being in the red financially, tho. €200 billion is a whole lotta euros! 
But at the same time, we can't just rely on Trump to do all the heavy lifting... someone's gotta back him up on air defences and ops, or it's all just talk 
I'm loving this latest development! Did you know that since the start of the war in Feb 2022, Russia's GDP has decreased by 1.9% YoY 
? Meanwhile, Ukraine's economy is growing at a rate of 3.5% 
! The €200 billion frozen Russian asset thing? That's like offering a sweet deal to Ukraine 
. Russia, on the other hand, has lost around 2.5k+ soldiers (so far... 
). Trump's optimism is good to see, but we need to be realistic too 
. The US providing support to Ukraine could make all the difference - did you know that in 2020, the US provided $3.4 billion in military aid to Ukraine? 
I mean, can you believe that Finland's president is basically saying that the only way to get Putin to talk is if Trump comes knocking? 
It's not like they've been exactly known for their financial responsibility in the past, right? 
not good. We need some real action, not just empty promises. 
. I mean, €200 billion worth of frozen assets is a huge number, but if Russia doesn't pay back, it's like they're holding Ukraine hostage 
. And what about the US commitment? Can we really rely on Trump to keep his word? He's been all over the place with this whole summit thing 