Building Bridges: The Unlikely Friendship Between Trump and Finland's Stubb

Sat Oct 11 2025 19:05:07 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

In an unexpected alliance, Donald Trump and Finland's President Alexander Stubb find common ground over icebreaker ships and golf, with implications for US-Finland relations amidst the Ukraine conflict.

Donald Trump and Finland's President Alexander Stubb have formed a surprising friendship rooted in shared interests and strategic discussions. Their relationship was highlighted during a recent Oval Office meeting focused on a deal for icebreaker ships and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Stubb's connections are seen as pivotal in influencing Trump’s stance on European security. Over shared golf games, their bond has grown, marking Finland's increasing importance in transatlantic relations.

There was no small talk required to break the ice between these two leaders who have become unlikely friends.

Instead, it was real ice breakers - 9,000-tonne hulking ships - that sealed a deal between Donald Trump and Finland's President Alexander Stubb, cementing their growing business and personal relations.

Trump was smiling in their Oval Office meeting on Thursday, leaning in slightly, and nodding in agreement to the man who has become, to many, an unlikely spokesman for Europe.

Finland's Alexander Stubb is a leader who, despite his country's relatively small size, has the US president's ear more than most.

We've been friends for a long time, Trump remarked as they sat, facing each other, under a painting of a young George Washington.

For the next hour, the two men discussed a broad range of issues - but primarily a deal to purchase 11 icebreaker ships.

These are a difficult-to-build Finnish nautical specialty the country uses to break through to ports frozen over in harsh Scandinavian winters, and which Trump has long had his eyes on.

Four of those will be built in the US using Finnish know-how, which Stubb promised means investments, means jobs and means hope - which a grateful Trump said was necessary given Finland's proximity to Russia and what he termed the ridiculous war in Ukraine.

More than any aspect of the bilateral relationship between the US and Finland, the Ukraine war has thrust the relationship between Stubb and Trump into international headlines.

Among many observers of the war, Stubb is seen as one of the NATO leaders perhaps best able to sway Trump towards Europe's position on Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin.

I see Finland's outsized influence in Washington as a direct result of the close personal relationship between Stubb and Trump, said Jason Moyer, an expert in transatlantic relationships at the Washington-based Atlantic Council.

At first glance, the two men could not seem more different.

While Trump became formally involved in politics late in life after a long career in real estate, his younger Finnish counterpart began his own career through more academic pursuits.

Stubb's role as what some media outlets have described as a Trump whisperer has not gone unnoticed in other European capitals.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July thanked him for helping build a connection with Trump as the war in Ukraine continued to rage.

While these conversations are often policy-focused, sometimes they are simply friendly chats over a shared passion - golf.

It's Trump's favourite pastime and a sport for which Stubb once represented Finland as a member of its national team.

Over 18 holes on the sunny golf course, the two men chatted over a wide range of subjects, ranging from icebreakers to Ukraine.

This time together, Stubb later recalled, allowed the two men to get a feel for one another.

Stubb's connections are seen as pivotal in influencing Trump’s stance on European security.

As the two leaders continue their dialogue, their bond may play a significant role in shaping the future of US-Finland relations, particularly amidst the pressing challenges posed by Russia's actions in Ukraine.