President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the United States is looking to acquire icebreaker vessels, which are designed to break ice blocks and ensure safe passage through ice-covered waters, from Finland.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said the vessels are "badly needed" to deliver "Peace and International Security for our Countries, and the World."
"President Stubb and I look forward to strengthening the partnership between the United States and Finland, and that includes the purchase and development of a large number of badly needed Icebreakers for the U.S., delivering Peace and International Security for our Countries, and the World. President Stubb told me, in the most powerful of words, that the United States is STRONG, and BACK, AGAIN. I AGREE!" he said.
Recent data show the U.S. lags far behind other countries in terms of the number of icebreaker vessels it has.
According to 2022 data from Reuters, Russia tops the list with 57 icebreakers, followed by Canada with 18, Finland with 10, Denmark with seven, and the U.S. with five.
However, the U.S. has looked to address this shortage in the past.
Just last November, the U.S., Finland, and Canada formed a trilateral partnership called the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, or ICE Pact. One of its goals is to increase the production of icebreaker vessels by "sharing expertise, information, and capabilities" between the three countries.
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In his Saturday post, Trump also touted Finnish President Alexander Stubb's golf game, saying he is a "very good player" as the two played a round at his course in Palm Beach, Florida, with former professional golfer Gary Player, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and former South Carolina Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy.
He added that they won the "Men’s Member-Guest" golf tournament.
