Trump fails to spot Finnish President seated directly opposite to him

A meeting at the White House, intended to showcase a united front in support of Ukraine, was momentarily sidetracked on Monday, August 18, 2025, by an awkward and confusing exchange initiated by President Donald Trump.

The gathering included European leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, where President Trump attempted to introduce Finnish President Alexander Stubb but couldn’t locate him in the room, despite Stubb being seated directly across the table.

Trump scanned the room with confusion, “He’s somewhere… somewhere among us…. Where is he?”

The Finnish leader, who sat a few feet away and could be seen easily, calmly handled the situation.

With attention, he said: “I’m right here.”

Recovering quickly from the situation, Trump tried to handle the situation subtly.

He praised Stubb, saying, “You look better than ever. You’ve done a great job, and we wanted you to be here.”

The unusual moment didn’t stop there.

When Stubb was given the chance to speak, the 47th U.S. President referred to the 57-year-old as a “young and powerful leader.”

In a lighthearted response, Stubb quipped that he would be sure to tell his wife about the compliment.

Despite the awkward interaction, the meeting focused itself on serious geopolitical matters.

The President Stubb utilised his speaking time to show support to Ukraine striking an optimistic note on Ukraine, stating that more progress had been made in negotiations regarding the war in the last two weeks than in the previous three and a half years.

These remarks are widely interpreted as an enforcement of the ongoing diplomatic efforts.