OTTAWA — Finnish President Alexander Stubb made stops at Rideau Hall and a hockey rink during an official visit to Ottawa today.

Stubb met with Gov. Gen. Mary Simon before joining Prime Minister Mark Carney for a skate alongside the Ottawa Charge women’s hockey team.

Stubb told reporters he exchanges text messages with Carney almost daily as the two countries pursue closer ties.

Finland joined the NATO military alliance in 2023 in response to rising alarm about the threat posed by its neighbour Russia following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Stubb has delivered some of the most forceful rhetoric of any European leader about the threat Russia poses to peace on the continent.

On Wednesday, Stubb will speak at Carleton University about geopolitical issues before attending a business forum with federal cabinet ministers focused on Arctic security.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 14, 2026.

— With files from David Baxter.

Dylan Robertson, The Canadian Press