Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Tuesday that President Donald Trump is switching up his strategy when it comes to dealing with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"Having seen that carrots rarely work with the Russians, he has moved to the stick stage," Stubb told reporters in Helsinki, according to Politico. "Now it's just a question of how big the stick is going to be."
Stubb, who is a strong supporter of Ukraine as it seeks to drive out Russian forces, said it was very encouraging to hear Trump and others in his administration criticize Putin publicly in recent weeks.
His opinion stands in stark contrast with those of other European officials and politicians, many of whom have dismissed Trump's latest position that Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia with NATO help as hollow.
"I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and WIN all of Ukraine back in its original form," Trump said in a social media post last week. "With time, patience, and the financial support of Europe and, in particular, NATO, the original Borders from where this War started, is very much an option."
But Stubb has more experience than most of his counterparts in understanding Trump, having forged a relationship with the Republican president on the golf course, playing a game they both love.
When asked what kind of stick Trump would hit Putin with, Stubb reportedly joked that it might be a "driver."
"President Trump is working if not around the clock, then every day with trying to end the war," Stubb said, according to Politico. "He has 14 clubs in his bag."
Options in the president's arsenal for humbling Moscow include harsher sanctions, steeper tariffs, and increased use of U.S. weaponry to strike deep inside Russian territory.
"You don't have to read 'The Art of [the] Deal' to understand the way in which President Trump negotiates," Stubb said. "It's unconventional, but it is quite results-oriented … If Putin after [meeting Trump for an Aug. 15 summit in] Alaska basically continues to kill civilians in Ukraine, President Trump is justifiably going to react."
Calling himself a "realistic optimist," Stubb told supporters of Ukraine to remain patient, saying he thinks that "the facts on the ground right now" indicate that "we are going in a better direction."
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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