Finnish President Alexander Stubb weighed in on the White House summit on Ukraine, noting that Poland’s voice was missing, prompting commentators to say the Poles missed a chance to speak.
Ukraine Summit
On Monday, August 18, a summit on the war in Ukraine was held at the White House. In addition to U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, participants included French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and NATO Secretary‑General Mark Rutte. Polish representatives were absent. President Stubb discussed his presence at the summit.
Finnish President on His Presence at the Summit
Some international media might ask, “Why is the Finnish President here?” Stubb explains that, although Finland is a small country, it shares more than 800 miles of border with Russia and has a long history of conflict with Russia – from World War II, the Winter War, and the Continuation War. He added that Finland found a solution in 1944 and is confident it can find a solution again in 2025 to end Russia’s aggression and secure lasting and just peace. “The situation is very difficult, but that is why we are here,” he concluded.
“We Lost the Chance”
Polish political scientist and journalist Bartosz T. Wieliński tweeted: “Listen to what Finnish President Alexander Stubb says in the White House. Today the Polish President could have said the same.” Similar remarks came from journalist Jakub Krupa of the Guardian, and a former PAP correspondent noted: “We lost the chance for Poland’s representative to say something similar.”
Stubb Skeptical: Trusting Putin Is Rare
After the summit, Stubb said that details of Ukraine’s security guarantees should be finalized within the next week. He remains skeptical of Vladimir Putin’s peace intentions amid planned talks with Zelensky. “Putin can rarely be trusted. Now we just have to wait to see if he has the courage to attend a tripartite meeting or if he will keep delaying,” Stubb said.
Talks on the Ukraine War
Kaynaklar: Anton Geraszczenko (X), Bartosz T. Wieliński (X), Jakub Krupa (X), IAR
