Stubb announced the inevitability of negotiations between the EU and Russia

Negotiations between Russia and the countries of the European Union (EU) are inevitable. This was announced by Finnish President Alexander Stubb on May 15.

"We do not know when this (EU negotiations with Russia — Ed.) will happen, but it will happen. The reality is that Finland will still have a border with Russia, and you (Lithuania) will still have a border with Belarus and Kaliningrad," he said in an interview with Lithuanian TV channel 15min.

According to Stubb, he has always believed that it is better to talk and interact with Russia than not to talk and stay away. The Finnish president believes that European states should coordinate and make decisions together, rather than waiting for orders from any one leader. Stubb also noted that the discussion about the alleged "Russian threat to the EU" needs to be lowered, since Russia does not have such intentions.

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Stubb said on March 17 that the time was coming for the European Union when it would need to restore direct dialogue with Russia. The politician stressed that cooperation with Moscow should take place on behalf of the entire association, and not through bilateral relations with each of the EU countries. In his opinion, this will allow Brussels to build a more general coordinated position on key issues.

Kirill Dmitriev, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation and head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), said on May 12 that the energy crisis due to the war in Iran would make negotiations between Europe and Russia "inevitable." He commented on the words of Finnish President Alexander Stubb, who noted the day before that Europe should "enter into a direct dialogue" with Moscow because US policy does not meet European interests.