Finnish President Alexander Stubb, one of the most bellicose leaders in the European Union, said Monday that it was time for Europe to start direct talks with Russia.
Stubb was an early advocate of Finland’s accession into NATO and has used his good relationship with President Donald Trump to communicate the hawkish position vis-à-vis the Russia-Ukraine war to Washington. Despite his support for Ukraine, Stubb had begun flirting with the idea of eventually opening up talks with Russia in recent months. In a Monday interview with the Italian outlet Corriere della Sera, the Finnish president said the time to start talking to Russia is now.
“Yes, it’s time to start talking to Russia,” Stubb told the outlet.
The Finnish president was less certain of when the dialogue would actually begin but said it was a discussion among European leaders. He implied the main trouble was logistical.
“The most important thing is that everything must be coordinated among us, especially between the E5 [Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Poland] and the Nordic and Baltic countries, who are on the border,” he said. “If it is a special envoy or a group of leaders, we will see.”
In previous comments about communicating with Russia, Stubb said he believed a time was coming when lines would have to be opened with Russia but stopped short of explicitly saying when.
“I do think that we are approaching the moment when political conversational channels have to be open with Russia,” he said at a Chatham House event in March.
In April comments to Estonian media, he said a resumption of contact was inevitable and “the only question is when.”
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Elsewhere in the interview with Corriere della Sera, Stubb urged calm among European leaders concerning Trump, saying Washington wouldn’t fully withdraw from Europe. He also speculated that peace in Ukraine wasn’t on the table at any time this year.
His comments come as the first ceasefire struck in the Russia-Ukraine war, a three-day period coinciding with the celebration of Victory Day, commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. Though each side has accused the other of violations, the ceasefire has largely held.