Yesterday at 20:01
U.S. President Donald Trump and Finnish President Alexander Stubb will meet at the White House on Thursday to discuss bilateral and international issues and are expected to sign an agreement for the U.S. Coast Guard to purchase up to four icebreakers built at Finnish shipyards.
Reuters reports, citing U.S. officials, that Trump has long urged the U.S. to acquire up to 40 new icebreakers to strengthen national security in the Arctic and counter the growing influence of China and Russia in the region.
A White House official said Trump would sign a memorandum of understanding with Finland to allow foreign construction of four “Arctic security cutters” at Finnish shipyards.
“We will then use Finnish expertise to build up to seven new Arctic security cutters at shipyards located in the United States,” the official stated.
According to the official, a total of 11 new medium-class icebreakers for the U.S. Coast Guard will cost around $6.1 billion.
The first vessel is expected to be delivered by 2028, and the deal will bring billions in new investments to the U.S. maritime industrial base and create thousands of jobs, the official emphasized.
Currently, the Coast Guard’s operational polar fleet includes only two Arctic security cutters, the source added.
Trump and Stubb are also expected to discuss Russia’s war against Ukraine during their meeting.
Finland is a world leader in icebreaker production — about 80% of all existing icebreakers were designed by Finnish companies, and 60% were built at Finnish shipyards, according to the Finnish government.
Finnish leaders have long sought to secure icebreaker contracts with the United States, but previous attempts were blocked by the Jones Act, a U.S. law giving priority to domestic shipbuilding, Reuters notes.
As reported, Finnish President Alexander Stubb will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has also been discussing the potential use of Russian nuclear icebreakers to support gas and LNG projects in Alaska — one of several possible deals considered ahead of Trump’s planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia’s icebreaker fleet is rapidly aging, with at least three vessels expected to reach the end of their service life within the next two years.
