Finnish President urges Europe to start negotiations with Russia

On June 7, Finnish President Alexander Stubb acknowledged the need to maintain political relations with Russia, despite their deterioration.

"They (relations with the Russian Federation. For obvious reasons, they probably won't be the same anymore... But there should be relations with Russia. I say this as the head of state, who has a border with Russia that stretches for more than 1,300 kilometers. This border will remain. We will have to maintain political relations at some point," Stubb said in an interview with the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ).

When asked about the negotiations between European states and Russia, the Finnish leader noted that he believes in their necessity.

"Yes, I believe that we should talk to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin," he said.

At the same time, Stubb refused to answer a question about his willingness to act as an intermediary.

According to the Finnish president, Europe should conduct negotiations with the Russian Federation together with the United States, while assessing whether American foreign policy towards Russia and Ukraine is in line with Europe's interests.

"If not — and in certain aspects it is true — we must actively speak out. But in a coordinated manner," he stressed.

The news is being updated