Authored by Travis Gillmore via The Epoch Times,
U.S. President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb announced a joint deal to build icebreaker ships during a White House meeting for talks related to trade and security on Oct. 9.
“We have a big order coming up ... and we negotiated a pretty tough price,” Trump said during the Oval Office gathering.
“We’re buying the finest icebreakers in the world.”
Icebreaking ships are specially designed and constructed with reinforced hulls, oversized engines to drive through obstructions, and custom shapes to crush ice and create pathways.
The deal includes 11 ships valued at approximately $6.1 billion, four to be built in Finland and seven in the United States, according to the president.
Available details are limited, and more information is coming soon, a White House spokesperson told The Epoch Times.
Known as the “Land of a Thousand Lakes” because of its vast watery landscape, the Nordic nation’s ports freeze every winter, so Finland developed superior icebreaking technology over the past 100 years out of necessity.
Approximately 60 percent of all icebreaking ships are built in Finland, and the nation’s engineers are responsible for designing 80 percent of the world’s fleet, according to Stubb.
Leaders from the country helped found the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort—also known as the ICE Pact—a joint agreement from July 2024 between Finland, the United States, and Canada to further the advancement of Arctic shipbuilding.
“You’re going to be teaching us about the icebreaker business,” Trump told the Finnish leader.
The United States has one ship controlled by the Coast Guard with icebreaking capabilities, while Russia has approximately 40, Trump noted.
Finland can help close the gap, according to Stubb.
“You need to start ramping it up, and this is an indication that we’re going to do it, and we’re going to do it together,” he said.
“I think we’re the country that can provide them at half the price and half the time.”
Elected in 2024, the 57-year-old Finnish president—who previously served as prime minister, foreign minister, and as a member of the European Parliament—said the partnership will help the two countries more closely align their foreign policy strategies.
“It’s a huge strategic decision by the president as well, because we all know that the Arctic is important strategically ... and in terms of the economy as well,” Stubb said.
“I know I come from a small country, but for us to be able to work together with you is extremely important from a strategic perspective, as well.”
Trump first met Stubb in France last year. The two played golf—prompting Trump to praise the Finn, who played college golf, for his skill on the course—after an impromptu March get-together in Florida at the president’s Mar-a-Lago home.
As the open press event was winding down, Trump told reporters that discussions with Finland’s delegation would continue in the Cabinet Room.
Stubb mentioned potential topics of interest, including quantum computing and the development of 6G networks for communication.
Also present for the visit were Finland’s prime minister, Petteri Orpo, and its ambassador to the U.S., Leena-Kaisa Mikkola.
The prime minister applauded the agreement as a symbol of optimism for the Finnish people.
“This deal is very important to Finland and our economy because our economy is suffering a lot because of the Russian aggression in Ukraine,” Orpo said.
“And this deal ... means investments, it means jobs, and jobs mean hope. That’s why this is so important.”