Niinistö stressed that the demands of the Russian Federation not to join NATO and the war against Ukraine have shaken the security of his country.
Sauli Niinistö talked with Vladimir Putin / photo REUTERS
The President Finland Sauli Niinistö had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
This is reported by the press service of the President Finland and the Kremlin.
The Finnish leader notes that he “told President Putin how radically changed the security situation in Finland, Russia’s demands at the end of 2021 aimed at preventing countries from joining NATO, and Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.”
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“President Niinistö has announced that Finland will decide to apply for NATO membership in the coming days. President Niinistö noted that already during their first meeting in 2012, he told President Putin that every independent nation maximizes its security. This is what is happening now. By joining NATO, Finland strengthens its own security and assumes responsibility,” the message says.
This conversation Niinistö described as “straightforward and such that it was conducted without exacerbations.”
“It was considered important to avoid tension,” the president says.
President Niinistö also “reiterated his deep concern about the human suffering caused by the war Russia is waging in Ukraine.” He voiced messages about ensuring the evacuation of civilians, transmitted earlier by President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
The Kremlin, reporting on the outcome of the conversation, emphasized that Putin called the country’s desire to abandon military neutrality a mistake.
As for Ukraine, Putin lamented the suspension of negotiations.
As UNIAN wrote, earlier Zelensky announcedthat Ukraine offers Russia various mechanisms for the removal of Azov fighters from Azovstal, the President of Finland will talk about this issue with Putin.
