How Donald Trump remained the US's shadow president for four years
- Peter Baker
- New York TimesUpdated: Oct 12, 2024, 17:43 IST IST
Washington: When Finland wanted to join NATO to ward off Russian aggression, it knew it had a friend living in the White House and could count on President Joe Biden’s support. But to ensure that the U.S. Senate would ratify its membership bid, Finland’s government decided to also seek out the president living in Florida.
And so Mikko Hautala, the Finnish ambassador to the United States at the time, made a point of speaking privately with former President Donald Trump to persuade him of the merits of his country joining the alliance. The goal was to head off any opposition by Trump, who has long been openly hostile toward NATO.
And so Mikko Hautala, the Finnish ambassador to the United States at the time, made a point of speaking privately with former President Donald Trump to persuade him of the merits of his country joining the alliance. The goal was to head off any opposition by Trump, who has long been openly hostile toward NATO.
