Finnish President Alexander Stubb said he sees potential in an agreement with US President Donald Trump to provide European military support to secure the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for all the help Ukraine needs to reach an acceptable peace deal with russia.
It was reported by Politico.
The idea of such an exchange was proposed to Stubb during a question-and-answer session at the Chatham House think tank in London on Tuesday, March 17. In response, the Finnish leader seemed surprised and impressed.
"I think it's a really good idea," he said, adding after a pause: "No, I think it's actually a really good idea."
Stubb said he would look into the matter further and discuss options with his team. At the same time, the publication believes that Finland itself does not have any resources to contribute to the security of the Strait of Hormuz, and it is still far from clear what role European forces could play there.
The proposal comes amid fears that the longer the war against Iran lasts, the more it could limit Ukraine's struggle. The rapid rise in global energy prices and the US decision to ease sanctions against the russian oil industry will significantly increase russian dictator vladimir putin's revenues from the sale of russian fossil fuels. In addition, the US military is using hundreds of interceptor missiles to shoot down Iranian missiles and drones, leaving fewer such missiles for Ukraine.
"The Russian economy was actually doing extremely badly a couple of weeks back, now it’s bouncing back," the Finnish president said.
Stubb, on the other hand, expressed fears that the peace talks in Ukraine are rapidly approaching a decisive moment that could force Kyiv to agree to a disadvantageous deal with the transfer of territory to Putin. He said the talks could even collapse, leaving Europe in a quandary and forcing European powers to step in to provide Ukraine with additional intelligence, weapons and other support.
"I have no illusions about who can convince President Trump on anything,” Stubb said. “If I get one idea out of 10 in on Ukraine, I think it’s good," Stubb said.
Meanwhile, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed anxious premonitions about possible peace talks with russia due to the United States' shift in attention to the conflict in the Middle East.
Zelenskyy also called the search for a place for talks "Santa Barbara" because the US and russia cannot reach an agreement.
As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, US President Donald Trump announced the deployment of an international fleet to protect the Strait of Hormuz. He hopes that ships will also be sent by China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom.
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