Finland¡¯s President Alexander Stubb said he is worried the crisis over Greenland will ¡°suck out all the oxygen¡± at the in Davos, sidelining Russia¡¯s war in Ukraine.
¡°We are doing everything we can to avoid that,¡± Stubb told reporters in Davos on Monday, adding that ¡°for Ukraine, the best that can come out of Davos is some kind of an agreement on an economic plan or reconstruction¡± this week.
Another development European leaders are working to avert is any linkage between the issues of Greenland and Ukraine, he said.
Finland is among the eight countries President Donald Trump has threatened with new tariffs if they fail to support his ambition to gain control over Greenland. Stubb declined to say whether the European Union should impose retaliatory levies against the U.S., but said the bloc has ¡°many tools¡± to persuade Trump to withdraw threats against Greenland.
Stubb said the first step in resolving the issue is to de-escalate rhetoric around Greenland.
¡°Secondly, we build a process, especially through NATO, to strengthen security in Greenland,¡± he said. ¡°This requires that Europeans clearly say which economic instruments will be employed, should this question not develop in the right direction.¡±
Stubb has emerged as a leader whom Trump listens to. The two played golf together in Florida last spring and are in regular contact. ¡°We can speak frankly and also disagree, but it is more fruitful to try to act in the background than in public,¡± he said.
Stubb is also known to be in close contact with several Republican senators, including Lindsey Graham.
¡°We often forget how in the U.S., Congress ¡ª and particularly the Senate ¡ª has a lot of say on foreign policy matters,¡± Stubb said. The stance of the Congress on the Greenland issue depends on the approach of Republican senators, he said.
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