US has no clear strategy to end war in Ukraine: Finnish president

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) - The US has no clear strategy to end the war in Ukraine, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said Monday.

“I personally dare to say that the United States does not have a solid strategy to end this war. That is why we in Europe must take the initiative,” said Stubb, speaking to the Iltalehti daily.

“However, I do not believe that the transatlantic relationship is collapsing. It is currently being challenged, and recognizing that fact is today's foreign policy,” he added.

Asked how to reach a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine, Stubb said: “It is resolved by the fact that the peace agreement is not (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's peace agreement, in which Putin dictates to Ukraine what will be done.”

Ukraine should not be left alone against Russia, as Finland was in 1944, he commented.

As the Ukraine war enters its fourth year, shifting global dynamics suggest a possible resolution.

US President Donald Trump, who campaigned on ending the war, has taken an unconventional approach, engaging directly with Russia while sidelining Ukraine and Europe, a move that caused widespread backlash across the European continent.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to push for NATO membership, underscoring that Ukraine needs the alliance’s security guarantees for lasting peace.

Marking the third anniversary of the Russian war, leaders from several European nations and top European Union officials gathered in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv to show support.

However, the Trump administration has signaled that Ukraine’s NATO aspirations and hopes of regaining pre-2014 borders are unlikely.