President Sauli Niinisto reports the decision Finland to register as a member NATO to the President of Russia, Vladimir Putinby telephone on Saturday (14/5).
The Finnish presidential office stated that at the start of the talks, Niinisto told Putin that he understood the importance of Russia’s 2021 request for his country not to join NATO.
“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 changed Finland’s security situation. President Niinisto announced that Finland was enlisting as a member of NATO in the next few days,” the statement read. site the presidential office.
Niinisto also emphasized that since the first meeting with Putin in 2012, he had stated that all independent countries had the right to maximize their security.
“That is also what is happening now. By joining NATO, Finland is strengthening its security and implementing its responsibilities. This decision is no different from any other country,” the statement said.
Finland also stressed that in the future, it will deal with questions related to its relations with Russia in a professional manner.
“The conversation was very straight to the point and without tension. Avoiding tension is important,” says Niinisto.
So far, Putin has been urging neighboring countries not to join NATO. The warning grew stronger as more European countries joined the defense bloc.
Apart from Finland, Ukraine also briefly considered joining NATO. That desire was one of the things that made Russia decide to launch an invasion on February 24.
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