LOS ANGELES.–Finland’s 56-yar-old President Alexander Stubb expressed the most selfish possible reason for Ukraine Peace talks, claiming the peace with Russian is not about Ukraine but European Security. “The war in Ukraine is not only about Ukrainian independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, it is about European security, and it is about American leadership,” Stubb said, showing that everyone in Europe has their own agenda. Stubb should applaud 78-year-old President Trump’s leadership trying to bring peace to the European Continent. Ukraine has endured the most hardship battling the Kremlin for the last three years. Stubb knows, as part of the NATO alliance, Finland’s security is all but guaranteed unlike Ukraine, Finland should not fear American leadership. Trump never said he was abandoning European security, that’s something Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
Zelensky torched Trump while at the Munich Security Conference trying to make the case of the EU stepping up to back the Ukraine War while Trump seeks to end it. Zelensky told Munich delegates that Trump was abandoning Europe, something utterly preposterous. Zelensky’s outrageous statements about Trump living in a Russian “disinformation space” infuriated Trump, calling Zelensky a “no election dictator.” Zelensky thought he could turn the EU against Trump, something that almost happened with French President Emmanuel Macron and U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer visiting Trump at the White House this week. Starmer wants to look relevant even though he’s far removed from U.S.-Russian peace talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Zelensky told the EU that Trump cut him out of peace talks, when, in fact, he’s been fully apprised of everything.
Stubb’s comments show the paranoia that exists in Russia’s closest neighbors like Finland, Poland and the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. All former Soviet satellites fear a Russian takeover, whether it’s merited or not. Former President Joe Biden, 82 and Zelensky routine justified the Ukraine War to save European democracy, one of Zelensky’s many canards. Zelensky has been begging for NATO membership knowing that it protects European democracy, certainly not Ukraine. But propagandists from Washington and Kiev brainwashed Europe into believing Putin had his eyes on taking over more EU states. Putin wants no part in any war with NATO, judging by his fierce opposition to Ukraine joining the Transatlantic Alliance. Stubb sings the praises of Finland that avidly spends on its defense far more that other EU countries.
Finland only joined NATO April 4, 2023, something Putin couldn’t stop because its always been aligned with NATO for years. Sweden also joined NATO March 7, 2024, something that Putin accepted because they’ve fallen under the NATO shield for years. But when it comes to Ukraine, Putin puts down his red line, mainly because Ukraine has just fought a brutal three-year war causing thousands of Russian casualties. “We just doubled NATO’s border with Russia. We have one of the largest militaries in Europe. We’ve always kept our defense expenditures up, and for an obvious reason, and that reason is not Stockholm, it’s Moscow,” Stubb said about Finland’s commitment to defense. Trump would like to see all European countries with the same commitment to defense as Finland and Sweden. Stubb worries that if Putin wins the peace, the U.S. loses.
Stubbs and other EU leaders don’t need to worry about who wins or loses the Ukraine War. Trump’s decision to reset U.S.-Russian relations is not out of weakeness, it’s out of smartness, knowing that staying mortal enemies hurts U.S. foreign policy and national security. “If there’s an iota of an inkling of understanding that Putin wins this peace, then the United States will have lost, so I think we need to fight this to the bitter end,” Stubbs said, sending a message to Trump. Whatever Stubb’s intentions, Trump has the situation well in hand, not something he needs to worry about. Trump isn’t about to lose anything, he’s close to closing a multibillion dollar rare earth mineral deal with Ukraine which would assure U.S. business involvement in Ukraine for the foreseeable future. Stubb needs to listen to Polish President Andrzej Duda, telling all to trust Trump.
Stubb hasn’t committed to putting Finnish troops on the ground in Ukraine in any post-war security arrangement. Stubb thinks Finnish air and sea assets could help patrol to keep peace in Ukraine. But whatever the arrangements, Trump knows what’s best for Ukraine because Zelensky would sabotage any peace deal with the Russian Federation. Zelensky told the Munich Security Conference Trump was keeping Ukraine out of peace talks. But Ukraine has been kept apprised of everything Trump does to secure a lasting and fair peace. Zelensky would like all the sovereign territory back but that’s the price of going to war. Trump said Zelensky had other choices when Putin invaded. He could have settled the conflict by ceding Crimea to Russia and recognizing the independence of Donetsk and Luhansk. Zelensky opted for war and must pay the consequences.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
