Let's remember. On Monday 18 August, Donald Trump will meet Volodymyr Zelenski, accompanied by another leaders from Europe. Will there besides be a delegation from Poland in Washington? This question has been ringing in our home since the weekend and is burning Poles. "They didn't get along. Breakthrough gathering in the White home without Poland" – these are the last reports.
Meanwhile, the composition of the EU delegation has been known since Sunday. It is known that they will fly to the United States:
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission
Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General
Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany
Emmanuel Macron, president of France
Alexander Stubb, president of Finland
Giorgia Meloni, Prime Minister of Italy
Keir Starmer, Prime Minister of large Britain
It is precisely the participation of the president of Finland, the only typical of our part of Europe, that seems peculiar here. It's a tiny country, 5 million people. He's only been in NATO since 2023. Therefore, it is all the more visible how, in the absence of a typical of Poland, Poland is starting to play an increasingly crucial function in global policy.
"I can tell Trump what Europeans or Zelenski think and then tell my European colleagues what Trump thinks," said Alexander Stubb in a fresh interview with the "Wall Street Journal".
Today, many eyes are besides directed at him.
"Informal middleman in contacts with U.S. President"
"Finland's large promotion. As for a president like Stubb, you can play in the top league, "The president of Finland is simply a strong voice of Europe", "It was a communication channel, a bridge between Europe and Trump" – specified opinions are collected present by Alexander Stubb, since 2024 the president of Finland. A centre-right politician known for his alternatively informal lifestyle, "crazy" on sports, a well-known triathlonist. A man with a large political experience, where Karol Nawrocki is even little than a rookie.
Stubb – 1968 – in his life was Minister of abroad Affairs, Finance, Trade and European Affairs. He was besides an MP and a Euro MP. And besides Prime Minister of Government. present he has the opinion of the most anti-Russian president in Finland's history. At the same time, 1 who became friends with Donald Trump and plays golf with him.
" Fortunately for transatlantic relations Stubb is besides an excellent golfer. His developing relationship with Trump, which began almost 5 months ago on a golf course in West Palm Beach, elevated little-known Stubb to the function of an informal middleman in contacts with the president of the United States," he wrote about him a fewer days ago "Wall Street Journal".
The deputy chief of the Polish Ministry of abroad Affairs besides referred to this relationship with Trump. So Władysław Teofil Bartoszewski replied in Polsat News about the deficiency of a Polish delegation in Washington:
As he writes "WSJ", this relationship made Stubb a "key communication channel for European officials who wanted to influence Trump-Putin summit in Alaska".
"In collaboration with officials from Berlin, London, Paris and Kiev, Stubb was elected to give Trump the position of Europe – sometimes as part of telephone calls conducted 1 by 1 with Trump and president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenski," says Vera Bergengruen in an article.
Alexander Stubb knows Russia and the USA
The WSJ besides describes that Stubb and Trump formed an unexpected bond that they exchanged text messages and calls at different times. That this is simply a frequent contact and even Finnish diplomats in Washington are joking about learning everything from their president. And besides that "European officials note Trump reacts better to Europe's opinions conveyed by the head of a tiny country".
Although, as author Vera Bergengruen points out, Stubb may seem completely different from Trump, as she supports NATO, speaks 5 languages and warns against threats from Russia.
And he's hard on the side of Ukraine.
Besides, his poignant speech about support for Ukraine, erstwhile he talked about the fact that Finland itself lost 10 percent of its territory to the USSR in 1940, including the lands where his grandparents and father were born, went through social media any time ago and was besides commented on in Poland.
In an interview with "Welt", he said, "I think we gotta show strength. It's the only thing Putin understands. If he shows any weakness or submission, he will usage it."
So Stubb knows Russia, knows what to anticipate from it. As he writes "WSJ", he besides has quite a few experience in negotiating with her. He besides knows the United States. There he studied, but as a teenager he was in fresh York with a hockey team, he was besides on student exchange, spending his holidays in the US. He's expected to be fascinated by the U.S. at all.
How Stubb and Trump's relationship began
Trump's contact was to be made with Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. "WSJ" is cheating on the scenes.
"When they met at a safety conference in Munich in February, Graham proposed that Trump be called. 'Alex erstwhile played golf on Furman' told Trump, who suggested that he and Stubb should play together sometime," we read.
They played. The gathering lasted 7 hours. They besides talked about Putin.
Their joint game was an global event. "Good individual relations with leaders of unpredictable superpowers have been tested by Finnish abroad policy since the Cold War and submission to the russian Union," wrote Finnish media.
"I feel that the Finns are entering the place of Poland"
Today Stubb attracts attention in many countries. "He is simply a strong voice for Ukraine, the unity of Europe and NATO's collective security", "He is 1 of the best diplomats and leaders of our time", "Stubb becomes a key player between Trump and Putin. Approaching Trump through golf, Stubb emphasizes: 'Putin cannot be trusted' – you will read comments on political X today.
Here is 1 of the Estonian opinions: "Alexander Stubb – the president who plays golf with Trump while besides powerfully supporting Ukraine. I am truly arrogant of our neighbours and friends in Finland that they have specified a wonderful president, who is Trump's golf buddy and at the same time 1 of Ukraine's loudest advocates."
You can besides see it in Poland. "I have the impression that the Finns are entering the place of Poland," notes Jacek Pawlicki, writer of Newsweek.
Paweł Żuchowiski, a correspondent for RMF FM in Washington, Washington, writes that Stubb can be heard there, that it is simply a strong voice of Europe.
"A fewer days ago Daniel Fried, erstwhile U.S. Ambassador to Poland told me that Stubb's voice is now crucial in planet politics. Finland is simply a tiny country, but president Stubb, assured and Trump and Zelenski, as a mediator became the central figure of planet politics," he wrote.
He besides estimated that "the invitation of Alexander Stubb to Washington to the Zelenski-Trump gathering was a proof of appreciation for the president himself as a mediator and all of Finland". And he quoted erstwhile head of Finnish diplomacy Pekka Haavisto, who stated, "Now in the planet they perceive to what we say."
It is hard to say about Poland at this point.
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