The US and Finland have agreed to build 11 icebreakers together, with Finland building four ships to be delivered starting in 2028, followed by seven built in the US with Finnish assistance. The deal, announced by Presidents Trump and Stubb, aims to strengthen US Arctic capabilities amid growing geopolitical tensions as melting ice opens new shipping lanes, according to the Financial Times. Finland, a global leader in icebreaker construction, will help the US expand its aging fleet, which currently lags behind Russia and China. The partnership highlights growing focus on Arctic security and cooperation between the two countries. They write:

The US and Finland are set to build 11 icebreakers together under a joint plan announced by President Donald Trump and his Finnish counterpart Alexander Stubb at the White House on Thursday.

A memorandum of understanding signed by the two leaders during their meeting in Washington will entail Finnish shipyards building four icebreakers, with the first set to be delivered in 2028. Seven more would then be built in the US with assistance from Finland, one of the world’s leading producers of the ships.

“Nobody makes them like Finland,” Trump said as he announced the pact at the White House. […]

At a joint press conference in the Oval Office, Trump spoke admiringly about the size of Finland’s armed forces and said he would “vigorously” defend the country if it came under attack from Russia. […]

The US is carrying out a review of its troop deployments worldwide and has said it intends to reduce its presence in Europe. Trump said he did not intend to withdraw US troops from the continent but he might seek to “move some around a little bit”.

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