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Henri Vanhanen criticized Donald Trump's actions in the Ukraine war, noting that he declared agreements about which there was uncertainty, while pressuring Ukraine in a way that benefited Vladimir Putin. As a recent example, Vanhanen pointed to Trump’s announced energy ceasefire. According to him, Volodymyr Zelensky heard about it practically for the first time from the media, Russia had not confirmed the agreement, and continued, according to Zelensky, attacks on Ukraine's power plants. Vanhanen asked what kind of ceasefire it was if the other party did not know what had been agreed upon. He suggested that Zelensky had to be cautious of Trump’s criticism to avoid being blamed for obstructing peace. Vanhanen referred to the Financial Times reporting that the United States threatened to cut off arms and intelligence supplies to Ukraine unless the country stopped attacks on Russian energy infrastructure. He also wrote that Trump agreed to buy Russian diesel, demanded Ukraine to cease attacks on Russian oil refineries, and encouraged a change of leadership in Ukraine. Vanhanen estimated that the war in Iran and the resulting fuel prices, the upcoming midterm elections, and the need to show results might explain Trump’s urgency to secure an agreement. According to him, Trump aimed for cheaper diesel and a visible peace political achievement, while Putin would benefit from a decrease in attacks on Russia’s energy sector. Vanhanen noted that the alignment of these goals seemed to occur at Ukraine’s expense. Vanhanen stated that he did not oppose a ceasefire if it protected Ukrainians and also bound Russia. However, he observed that for Trump, merely declaring an agreement seemed to suffice, even without information about its terms or Russia's commitment. Vanhanen assessed that Russia would benefit from a situation in which the United States sought a quick agreement and Ukraine was cautious not to offend Trump. In such conditions, he believed Putin could gain concessions from Trump without Russia needing to win against Ukraine at the negotiating table. #Ukraina #Trump #Venäjä (translated)

Jarno Limnell assessed that Volodymyr Zelensky made a strategically skillful move by suggesting that Ukraine hold elections if Vladimir Putin agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. According to Limnell, Zelensky linked Ukraine's internal political issue to Russia's military decision and brought the matter to Donald Trump's attention. He believed the ball was in Moscow's court, where, according to him, there was no genuine desire for peace. #Ukraina #Zelenskyi #Venäjä (translated)

Henri Vanhanen wrote that Volodymyr Zelensky was ready to hold elections in Ukraine if Vladimir Putin agreed to a 60-day ceasefire. Vanhanen noted that this was not a new concession, as Zelensky had made the same proposal in February and required sufficient security guarantees to hold the elections. Vanhanen interpreted the proposal as a message to Donald Trump, who, in his view, had repeatedly questioned Zelensky’s position and called for elections in Ukraine. According to Vanhanen, holding elections would require the United States to get Russia to stop hostilities for a sufficient period. He found it contradictory that Ukraine was being asked to hold elections in the midst of an invasion, while Russia had not agreed to a ceasefire that would allow for it. Vanhanen also pondered how strong Trump’s pressure on Zelensky had become, referring to Trump’s recent statements regarding Ukrainian leadership. He believed that the replacement of the Ukrainian president should not become a substantive goal of peace negotiations, but rather that Ukrainians should choose their own leader. According to Vanhanen, Trump should have used his influence to promote a ceasefire rather than forcing Ukraine to defend the legitimacy of its democracy. #Ukraina #Zelenskyi #Trump (translated)

Recently, U.S. President Donald Trump simply stated "okay" when asked for his response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's statement, in which he described the U.S. and Russia's diesel deal as a "weak" decision. "He'd better stop," Trump said. #Trump #Putin #Ukraina (translated)

Laura Korpinen wrote that in her opinion Volodymyr Zelensky's term had ended when Donald Trump stated his position, and that Ukraine would make peace. She urged Finnish decision-makers to limit the damage they had already caused and to humble themselves so that Finns would not suffer any more due to the elite's inability to stay away from great power disputes. #Ukraina #rauha #politiikka (translated)

Laura Korpinen wrote that Zelensky had made his last mistake by stepping on the toes of a U.S. agricultural producer. She said Trump was protecting his own and believed that Finnish decision-makers should do the same. According to Korpinen, however, the decision-makers were bragging about new aid packages for Ukraine, which Ukraine also used against Finnish agricultural producers. #Ukraina #Trump #maatalous (translated)