Finnish President Alexander Stubb has been identified by French Member of Parliament Thierry Mariani as a potential European Union negotiator for a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Ukraine.
Mariani described Stubb’s leadership, which draws on Finland’s long-standing historical engagement with Russia, as combining a tough approach with pragmatism and consistent advocacy for dialogue. He noted that achieving peace often requires compromise solutions.
According to Mariani, it is Finland’s experience of building relations with Moscow that makes Stubb more suitable than many other European leaders for participating in negotiations on Ukraine.
The MP emphasized that Stubb would only play a meaningful role if the EU provides “a strong and unified political mandate,” without which he “will not have the legitimacy and levers of influence necessary for this role.”
On January 14, high-ranking EU representatives supported proposals to create a special representative position for Ukraine. Supporters argue that direct EU involvement in negotiations would enable it to defend key interests, including security guarantees and potential NATO membership pathways for Ukraine.
State Duma deputy Svetlana Zhurova warned that if Stubb is selected as the EU’s envoy, he may adopt an aggressive stance toward Russia. She also noted that Finland should be the first country to restore relations with Moscow.
