DAVOS, Switzerland, Jan 22 (Reuters) - Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on Thursday U.S. President Donald Trump is putting pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine and argued that conditions are evolving favourably from the perspective of western powers.
Speaking after the United States and Europe stepped back from a row over Greenland, Stubb said efforts to craft a peace deal had gained strength since Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner began complementing U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff’s own endeavours.
Stubb said he was optimistic about the peace process from the point of view of Ukraine, the United States, and Europe, highlighting a 20-point peace plan encompassing security guarantees for Ukraine and the reconstruction of the country.
“I think President Trump is putting a lot of pressure on Russia, and I hope he continues to do that,” Stubb told Reuters in an interview on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss mountain resort of Davos.
However, Stubb said he was not convinced Russia would accept the plan out of domestic political considerations.
Trump said a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Davos was “very good” and that his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin is that the war must end.
(Reporting by Dave Graham, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
