Stubb on Trump: He has been good for NATO 

TT-AFP

Published 21:42

       
       Finnish President Alexander Stubb visited the US President at the White House last October. File               photo. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP/TT

In an interview with AFP, Finnish President Alexander Stubb says that Donald Trump has been "very good" for the defense alliance NATO.

According to Stubb, it is thanks to the US President that NATO countries have increased their defense spending.

"I believe he has been very good for NATO in the sense that member countries have increased their defense spending."

Stubb is known for his good rapport with Donald Trump and has been dubbed the "Trump Whisperer" internationally, having played golf with the US President and been invited to summits usually reserved for major powers.

He describes Trump as "a man with a mind of his own" and characterizes the relationship between them as "pragmatic."

Stubb says he views the US as an important partner in the Arctic, despite Trump's statements about acquiring Greenland from Denmark.

"We naturally stand one hundred percent behind Denmark. There is no doubt about that."

"On the other hand, I think the Americans are finally beginning to understand the importance of the Arctic," he says.