Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: Facing brickbats at home and abroad, is US President Donald Trump now using a backchannel via his latest European Union friend, Finnish President Alexander Stubb, to ‘reconnect’ with New Delhi?
For, a week after attending an EU-NATO meeting with President Trump at the White House on the Ukraine issue, Stubb called up PM Modi on Tuesday, ostensibly to discuss the India-EU Free Trade Agreement (IEUFTA).
According to media reports, President Stubb telephoned PM Modi and reiterated his country’s support for an early conclusion of a mutually beneficial IEUFTA.
A PMO statement said the two leaders reviewed progress in the India-Finland bilateral relationship and reaffirmed their commitment to enhance partnership in emerging fields, including quantum technologies, 6G, artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and sustainability.
Stubb also affirmed support for the success of the AI Impact Summit to be hosted by India in 2026, it added.
The statement said Stubb shared his assessment with PM Modi on the recent meetings held between the leaders of Europe, the US, and Ukraine in Washington on the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine.
Why did he do so?
PM Modi reiterated India’s consistent support for the peaceful resolution of the conflict and early restoration of peace and stability, it added.
Was Stubb’s call to PM Modi carefully orchestrated—from Washington?
According to media reports, he has emerged as the latest Trump favourite in Europe. Unlike other European leaders, who met Trump in March with bundles of briefing notes, the Finnish President showed up at the US President’s private residence at Mar-a-Lago with a set of golf clubs. Stubb, a former national-team golfer, challenged Trump to a round and spent the day driving balls and buggies. By evening, Trump boasted to the press about his “very good friend” from Helsinki.
Since then, Stubb’s mornings have often included a catch-up call with Trump.
According to some Washington reports, US Senator Lindsey Graham called him the “bridge between America and Europe.”
Is he now emerging as the bridge between President Trump and PM Modi?