There was no small talk required to break the ice between these two leaders who have become unlikely friends.
Instead, it was real ice breakers - 9,000-tonne hulking ships - that sealed a deal between Donald Trump and Finland's President Alexander Stubb, cementing their growing business and personal relations.
Trump was smiling in their Oval Office meeting on Thursday, leaning in slightly, and nodding in agreement to the man who has become, to many, an unlikely spokesman for Europe.
Finland's Alexander Stubb is a leader who, despite his country's relatively small size, has the US president's ear more than most.
We've been friends for a long time, Trump remarked as they sat, facing each other, under a painting of a young George Washington.
For the next hour, the two men discussed a broad range of issues - but primarily a deal to purchase 11 icebreaker ships.
These are a difficult-to-build Finnish nautical speciality the country uses to break through to ports frozen over in harsh Scandinavian winters, and which Trump has long had his eyes on.
Four of those will be built in the US using Finnish know-how, which Stubb promised means investments, means jobs and means hope - which a grateful Trump said was necessary given Finland's proximity to Russia and what he termed the ridiculous war in Ukraine.
More than any aspect of the bilateral relationship between the US and Finland, the Ukraine war has thrust the relationship between Stubb and Trump into international headlines.
Among many observers of the war, Stubb is seen as one of the Nato leaders perhaps best able to sway Trump towards Europe's position on Russia and its leader, Vladimir Putin.
At first glance, the two men could not seem more different.
While Trump became formally involved in politics late in life after a long career in real estate, his younger Finnish counterpart began his own career through more academic pursuits.
Stubb's role as what some media outlets have described as a Trump whisperer has not gone unnoticed in other European capitals.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in July thanked him for helping build a connection with Trump as the war in Ukraine continued to rage.
Stubb has spent significant time with Trump, and their relationship deepened on the golf course, where the two bonded over discussions ranging from icebreakers to major international issues. Their shared passion for the sport creates an unusual yet effective diplomacy channel.
Stubb previously noted, You learn about the personality of a human being on the first hole of a golf course... I had no uncomfortable moments during that round. Their meetings have grown beyond mere policy discussions; they have forged a genuine friendship that benefits both nations.