Finnish President suggests Trump and Zelensky settle things in a sauna.
Finnish leader compared the friction between the US and Ukrainian presidents to a marital dispute.
247 - Finnish President Alexander Stubb suggested that US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky should follow a Finnish tradition to overcome their differences: go to the sauna together. The statement was made in an interview with Bloomberg on Monday (4), in which Stubb compared the recent disagreement between the two leaders to a marital conflict, and reported by the RT portal.
Tensions between Trump and Zelensky surfaced last Friday when the Ukrainian president traveled to Washington to sign a minerals deal with the United States. However, his visit was abruptly cut short after a heated argument at the White House with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. During the meeting, Zelensky was accused of ingratitude and disrespecting the Oval Office, as well as being held responsible for "playing with World War III" by refusing to pursue peace negotiations with Russia.
Commenting on the episode, Stubb stated that "it always takes two to tango" and that "sometimes, in marriages or other types of relationships, you drift apart and sulk." However, according to him, there comes a point when both sides need to talk, shake hands, and move on. As a solution, he suggested that Trump and Zelensky adopt a "Finnish" approach: "Take a deep breath, take a cold shower, go to the sauna, relax, and return to the negotiating table," he said.
The Finnish leader argued that resuming negotiations would be crucial to concluding the minerals agreement, which, in his view, could be a "turning point" for a broader understanding, leading to a ceasefire and, subsequently, peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia.
Following the incident at the White House, Zelensky stated that he did nothing wrong, while Trump accused him of not being truly committed to peace and of trying to exploit US support for his own interests. According to Fox News, citing an anonymous official source from the US government, the White House is now demanding that Zelensky issue a public apology for his behavior during Friday's meeting before resuming negotiations on the minerals agreement.
Meanwhile, several US media outlets reported that Washington has suspended funding for new arms sales to Ukraine and is considering freezing shipments of weapons from US military stockpiles to the country. This measure could significantly impact military support for Ukraine, which is heavily dependent on US aid in its conflict with Russia.
