Estonia’s largest daily newspaper ran an editorial on Finnish President Alexander Stubb, referring to him as “Our Man in Washington.”
Open image viewer
File photo. A meeting between Kaja Kallas, left, and Alexander Stubb, right. Image: Siim Lõvi / ERR
Finnish President Alexander Stubb has rapidly emerged as a central figure in European diplomacy.
Polished and multilingual, Stubb has become the leading Finnish voice in foreign affairs. Earlier this year, a golf round in Florida helped him establish a personal rapport with US President Donald Trump, with US media outlet NBC News now describing him as a bridge between Europe and Washington.
Yle News reporter Matthew Schilke covered Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s attendance at the meeting earlier this week in the video below.
The contrast with Estonia’s position is striking. Kaja Kallas, Estonia’s first female prime minister, once held a similar role internationally as she gained acclaim abroad after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Time magazine naming her among its “Next 100” in 2022.
But her reputation was damaged by revelations in 2023 about her husband’s business links to Russia. Now serving as the EU’s foreign policy chief, she has suffered some setbacks, including the rejection of her proposed multi-billion-euro Ukraine aid package at an EU summit, and a cancelled meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this year.
Estonia’s largest daily, Postimees, reflected on the shift in an editorial titled “Our man in Washington”, which praised Stubb’s diplomatic skills and said he represented Estonia’s perspective on Russia.
The paper added that thanks to his “golf diplomacy, Estonians can sleep peacefully at night.”
Analysts note that Kallas’s position demands compromise within the EU and more restraint in her public style, while Stubb — as president of a small Nato member — has greater freedom to act independently.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump is also more receptive to European perspectives when they are not delivered by major EU states.
Orpo visit to Estonia
Against this backdrop, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) arrives in Tallinn on Friday for an official visit. He is due to meet Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, with talks covering EU issues, security and bilateral cooperation.
Orpo will also hold a separate meeting with Estonia’s foreign minister, Margus Tsahkna, before his two-day trip concludes with informal events on Saturday.