History’s Shadow: Finland’s Leader Reminds Trump of Soviet Aggression

The shadow of history looms over Washington as Finnish President Alexander Stubb joins a European delegation to support Ukraine. His message to Donald Trump is drawn directly from his country’s past: appeasing an aggressive neighbor by ceding territory is a dangerous path, a lesson Finland learned from the Soviet Union’s invasion in 1939.
Stubb is part of a “bodyguard” mission for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is facing pressure from Trump to accept a peace deal that would involve handing land to Russia. Stubb’s personal history lesson is a powerful tool in the European diplomatic arsenal.
The Finnish leader cultivated a relationship with Trump on the golf course, where he first drew the parallel between Ukraine’s current plight and Finland’s past. He argued that just as the Soviets claimed they “needed” Finnish territory for their security, Vladimir Putin is using similar logic today.
Now in the Oval Office, Stubb will reinforce this message alongside other European leaders. His unique perspective, rooted in his nation’s painful experience, adds a compelling moral and historical weight to the argument against Trump’s proposed “peace plan.”