HELSINKI (Reuters) – Finland’s President Alexander Stubb said on Sunday he had told U.S. President Donald Trump that a deadline needs to be set for establishing a Ukraine ceasefire in order to make it happen.
“April 20 would be a good time for a full ceasefire without any conditions … Because a deadline is needed, because it is Easter and because President Donald Trump will have been in office for three months,” Stubb told Finnish reporters in London.
Stubb on Saturday made a surprise trip to meet Trump in Florida, where they discussed strengthening their countries’ bilateral partnership and also played a round of golf, Stubb’s office said.
Since taking office in January, Trump has focused heavily on ending what he calls a “ridiculous” war in Ukraine. Earlier this week the United States announced separate agreements with Ukraine and Russia to pause their strikes in the Black Sea and against each other’s energy targets.
Stubb told reporters Trump’s patience with Russia was running out and the U.S. had “far-reaching” plans if Russia will not accept a ceasefire.
Trump on Sunday threatened to impose secondary tariffs of 25% to 50% on all Russian oil if he feels Moscow is blocking his efforts to end the war.
(Reporting by Essi Lehto, editing by Alexandra Hudson and Giles Elgood)
