Finland’s president Sauli Niinisto has told Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin of his plans to join NATO.
A readout of aphone call between the pair was released by Finland.
It stated that Mr Niinsito told Mr Putin “how fundamentally the Russian demands in late 2021 aiming at preventing countries from joining NATO and Russia’s massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 have altered the security environment of Finland”.
“President Niinistö announced that Finland decides to seek NATO membership in the next few days,” it added.
Mr Niinisto added how he told Mr Putin at their first meeting in 2012 that “every independent nation maximizes its security”, and that by joining NATO, Finland was assuming its responsibilities.
“The conversation was direct and straight-forward and it was conducted without aggravations. Avoiding tensions was considered important”, Mr Niinisto said in a statement.
Following Finland’s announcement that it plans to apply for NATO membership, Russian supplies of electricity to its neighbour have ceased, and Russia has carried out military drills in its Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad.
Skynews
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