Never underestimate russian ability to break ceasefire – Finnish President Stubb

Finnish President Alexander Stubb is skeptical of current ceasefire initiatives and believes that a full, not partial, ceasefire is what is needed now, he told France 24.

"What we're seeing is a classic Russian negotiating tactic. Ukraine wants a full ceasefire. Europe wants a full ceasefire. America wants a full ceasefire, and Russia forces it into a partial ceasefire, which in the first phase was energy infrastructure, which, of course, the Russians bombed immediately after they had agreed to a ceasefire. And the second phase is now a ceasefire in the Black Sea. These are all steps in the right direction. But never underestimate the capacity of Russians to break a ceasefire. They'll continue to do it. We need a full ceasefire and that needs to be monitored," Stubb said.

He also believes that US President Donald Trump has done more for Europe's security "than previous American presidents did in 50 years."

"I think he (Trump – ed.) has done more in five weeks in pushing Europe to take care of its own security than previous American presidents did in 50 years. We are actually reacting to what the Americans are saying, and that's actually a good thing. So put the rhetoric aside and see what's happening on the ground," Stubb said.