The announcement of Helsinki’s candidacy for NATO membership, seen by Moscow with a very dim view, is expected on Sunday.
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LRussian President Vladimir Putin said in a telephone interview with Finnish President Saul Ninisto on Saturday that the end of Finland’s military neutrality was a “mistake”, according to the Kremlin.
“Vladimir Putin stressed that it would be wrong to end the traditional policy of military neutrality, as there is no threat to Finland’s security,” the statement said.
The announcement of Helsinki’s candidacy for NATO membership, seen by Moscow with a very dim view, is expected on Sunday.
“Such a change in the political orientation of the country will have a negative impact on Russian-Finnish relations, which over the years has grown into a period of good cooperation and mutual benefit between good neighbors and allies,” the Kremlin report promises.
The two leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine, where Russia has been carrying out attacks since February 24. Putin told his Finnish ally, “The status of the Russian-Ukrainian talks, in practice, has been suspended by kyiv.
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