His view contrasts with skepticism from officials in Brussels and politicians in European capitals, some of whom dismissed Trump’s statements that Ukraine could “win” back all its territory from Russia as hollow words.
But Stubb has more credibility than most when it comes to interpreting Trump, having built a rapport with the American president while playing golf, a sport they both love. Asked what sort of stick Trump would choose to hit Putin with, Stubb quipped 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. “He has 14 clubs in his bag.”
The options range from tighter sanctions, including secondary sanctions, to higher tariffs and even making greater use of the U.S. military’s arsenal of weapons that can penetrate deep into 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.”
Describing himself as “a realistic optimist,” Stubb urged Ukraine’s supporters to stay patient. “I have had the possibility to work with President Trump quite closely over the past few months,” he said. “Perhaps optimism is sometimes an intuition, but I think the facts on the ground right now speak that we are going in a better direction.”