Finnish President Alexander Stubb has proposed a ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war by April 20. However, he insists that the truce must have “no conditions.” According to Yle, Stubb also supports strong sanctions on Russia to force compliance.

“Finland’s proposal is April 20. That would be a good time for a complete ceasefire without any conditions. Why April 20? Because we need a deadline. Because it’s Easter. And because (US) President (Donald) Trump will have been in office for three months,” Stubb stated. Furthermore, he mentioned that US Senator Lindsey Graham is preparing a sanctions package backed by 50 senators.

Trump Grows Frustrated with Russia

Meanwhile, Stubb pointed out that Trump is losing patience with Russia’s delays in agreeing to a ceasefire. “He (Trump) is very impatient with Russia’s actions, with this collusion and delay in the ceasefire,” Stubb said. As a result, he believes the US is also running out of patience, which he sees as a positive development.

Finland Seeks Trump’s Support for Ukraine

Later, Stubb met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago on March 29. They discussed the war in Ukraine as well as Finland-US relations. According to Finland’s press release, the visit was informal and included meals and a round of golf.

“During the visit, the Presidents discussed among other things the relations between Finland and the United States, and current foreign and security policy issues, including Ukraine,” the press release stated. Additionally, Politico reported that Trump and Senator Graham praised Stubb’s golfing skills.

Since Finland recently joined NATO, the country remains a strong supporter of Ukraine. Moreover, Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia and closely follows ceasefire talks. Earlier this month, Stubb met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where he offered to represent Europe in negotiations.

Strengthening Finland-US Relations

After the meeting, Trump posted on TruthSocial about improving US-Finland ties. “And that includes the purchase and development of a large number of badly needed Icebreakers for the US, delivering Peace and International Security for our Countries, and the World,” he wrote.

Previously, in November 2023, the US, Canada, and Finland signed an agreement to build Arctic and polar icebreakers. These vessels are crucial for navigating the Arctic, which has become a growing strategic interest for the US, Russia, and China. Although Russia has the world’s largest icebreaker fleet, Finland leads in their design and construction.