OREANDA-NEWS On Friday, January 21, a telephone conversation took place between Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Russian President Vladimir Putin. As reported on the website of the Office of the President of Finland, the subject of the conversation, held on the initiative of the Finnish side, were issues of geopolitics, including European security and the situation in Ukraine. January 20 marked the 30th anniversary of the signing of the treaty on the foundations of relations between Russia and Finland.

«President Niinisto expressed serious concern about the situation and stressed the need to maintain peace in Europe <...> through constant dialogue», the message reads.

The information was confirmed by the press secretary of the Russian leader Dmitry Peskov. The previous conversation between Putin and Niinisto took place on December 14. Then the leaders of the two countries discussed the situation around Ukraine, as well as bilateral relations. In addition, the President of Finland noted that the country adheres to a stable foreign and security policy, which is enshrined in government reports.

On September 30, Niinisto said that European countries should change their policy towards Russia and build a dialogue with Moscow. According to him, Finland's experience in cooperation with the Russian Federation shows that «both elements can fit into the same equation».