[ad_1]
The President of Finland says Donald Trump is working on Vladimir Putin and is frustrated with him.
The Finnish leader spoke to Sky News after spending the day with the US president and playing golf with him.
Alexander Stubb said Donald Trump is “the only person who can mediate a peace, a ceasefire, because he is the only one that Putin is afraid of”, but is tiring of Russian leader’s tactics.
Kremlin responds to Trump’s ‘p *** ed off’ commentary – Ukraine latest
Donald Trump played with Alexander Stubb in Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, Florida, golf. Photo: Finnish Presidential Office/Reuters
“There was a combination of impatience and a little frustration,” he said during their game in Florida this weekend – and it wasn’t with his golf swing.
“We talked a lot about the ceasefire and the frustrations he had that Russia did not connect to it.”
The comments of Mr. Stubb confirms reports on a change in attitude by Mr. Trump about the Russian leader.
Use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Trump ‘disappointed’ in Putin
Until recently, he looked more than happy to give Putin the benefit of the doubt, and instead applied tremendous pressure to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
However, according to the Finnish leader, Putin’s refusal to accept a ceasefire of 30 days is changing that.
He said: “If there was a pendulum of confidence and distrust, over the past few weeks, the Russian activity has proven to be moving more towards the distrust of things.”
Mr. Stubb insists on imposing the imposition of colossal sanctions against Russia if it does not accept the ceasefire at a deadline that he says should be set at Easter.
The US is considering sanctions against Russian oil, he said. “Oil, oil prices, serious caps on oil.”
Read more
Can Trump look for a third term?
Trump ‘P *** Edit with Putin’
Why Trump’s golf course doesn’t offer open
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who also with Mr. Stubb played golf suggests what he called ‘leg fractures sanctions’ if it does not meet the ceasefire.
Sanctions could not penetrate Russia in the first place of Ukraine or reversing its invasion.
But Mr. Stubb insists that Russia’s economic pain is now reaching a critical point and that sanctions can drop it over the rand.
He said: “You never underestimate the Russians’ ability to live through discomfort. I mean that’s what the Soviet Union really is all about. But at the same time there must be a wall at one stage. And I think the wall is approaching.”
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Vietnam in 2017. File PIC: AP
If Donald Trump loses patience with Russia, is he willing to do something about it?
“I think we need a large amount of sanctions on April 20 if the Russians do not comply with the ceasefire,” says Mr. Stubb.
But is Donald Trump’s Finnish golf partner confident that he will apply the pressure?
“Fairly confident,” he said. “More confidently than hopeful.”
It can take more than that to persuade Putin, there is something to worry about.
[ad_2]
Source link
