Finnish President Alexander Stubb believes that his US counterpart Donald Trump will increase pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin, shifting from a policy of "carrot" to "stick". Source: Stubb speaking to Politico and several other outlets in Helsinki Details: Stubb believes it is only a matter of time before the United States hits Putin where it really hurts. Advertisement: "Having seen that carrots rarely work with the Russians, he has moved to the stick stage," he said. "Now it's just a question of how big the stick is going to be," he added. This assessment contrasts with the scepticism prevailing in some European capitals, where Trump's public criticism of Putin has been dismissed as empty statements. However, Stubb, who has built personal contact with the US president thanks to their shared love of golf, has greater trust in his interpretation of Trump's intentions. When asked what exactly the "stick" for Putin might be, he joked that it could be a "driver", hinting that Trump has many tools of influence at his disposal. "President Trump is working if not around the clock, then every day with trying to end the war. He has 14 clubs in his bag," Stubb said. Among the possible options being considered are tougher sanctions, including secondary ones, higher tariffs and even more active use of American weapons capable of striking deep into Russian territory. "You don't have to read The Art of [the] Deal to understand the way in which President Trump negotiates. It's unconventional but it is quite results-oriented," Stubb noted. He warned that if Putin continues killing civilians in Ukraine after the meeting with Trump in Alaska on 15 August, the US president will be forced to respond harshly. Calling himself a "realistic optimist", Stubb urged Ukraine's supporters to be patient. "I have had the possibility to work with President Trump quite closely over the past few months. Perhaps optimism is sometimes an intuition, but I think the facts on the ground right now speak that we are going in a better direction," the Finnish president said. As for Europe's role in supporting Kyiv, Stubb strongly backed steps aimed at accelerating Ukraine's EU accession by finding a way around the veto of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Quote: "Any decision-making mechanism, which gives more flexibility and less possibility to block I personally welcome. And never more so than with Ukraine. I always say never underestimate the capacity of the lawyers of both the European Commission and the Council to find creative solutions in these kinds of situations. Ukraine's membership of the European Union is of strategic importance. The sooner it happens, the better." Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!