Ahead of the Lancaster House Ukraine summit, Finnish President Alexander Stubb talked to recent exchanges of insults among Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump, the former US president, and Senator J.D. Vance. Discussing it in an interview with the BBC, Stubb insisted that only the real beneficiary of their very public spat was Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President.
I believe ultimately, there was just one victor of that encounter, and that was Vladimir Putin,” Stubb said, in reference to the tense Oval Office meeting on Friday. But he stressed that all should look to the future, saying that recent talks between leaders were about renewing diplomatic momentum.
Stubb was optimistic that the London summit would represent the “first baby steps” toward resumed talks, in spite of changes in NATO. He recognized that the alliance was adapting to Trump’s presence, and that it was “more transactional,” but asserted it was “alive and kicking.” He also repeated his faith in American commitments under NATO, declaring, “I have heard no language suggesting the United States is not committed to Article Five.”
The Finnish leader also commended UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron for their proactive leadership in shaping Europe’s role in a broader peace process. He stressed the importance of European unity in supporting Ukraine and exploring diplomatic solutions.
“Diplomacy has many different forms, and we’ll see what comes out of it,” Stubb concluded, underscoring the need for continued dialogue at the summit.
