‘Need very badly’: Donald Trump announces Arctic cutters deal with Finland; US to buy 11 Icebreakers
The United States will purchase 11 icebreaking vessels from Finland in a move aimed at bolstering its Arctic maritime capabilities, President Donald Trump announced on Thursday during a meeting with Finnish President Alexander Stubb at the White House.Under the agreement, four vessels will be built in Finland, while seven will be constructed in the United States, with the Finnish side providing expertise and technical assistance.“What you’re doing is you’re going to be teaching us about the icebreaker business,” Trump told Stubb in the Oval Office. “We need these ships very badly because we have a lot of territory… It’s going to be a great partnership.”The icebreakers, also called Arctic security cutters, will be operated by the US Coast Guard, which has long sought to modernise and expand its aging polar fleet.The announcement marks a deepening of US-Finland industrial and defence cooperation, particularly amid growing strategic interest in the Arctic region due to climate change, increased shipping lanes, and geopolitical competition. Stubb welcomed the collaboration, highlighting Finland’s long-standing shipbuilding expertise in cold-weather operations. The specifics of the timeline and total cost of the deal are expected to be finalised in upcoming bilateral defence and infrastructure discussions.
