Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said a call between the president of the United States on Thursday Joe Biden and the President of Russia Vladimir Putin provided little news.
"Perhaps the best thing about the call was that both sides assured – at least in their press releases – that they were ready for diplomatic progress." Niinistö said on Yle’s radio Ykkösaamu on Friday.
"We can be fairly sure that this climate of peace will be maintained at least until the second week of January." he added.
Negotiations between Russia and the United States are expected to begin in Geneva in the second week of January.
During the inter-presidential call, Putin is said to have warned Biden that imposing sanctions would be a big mistake.
"It’s definitely part of the rhetoric now," Niinistö told about Russia’s sanctions warning.
According to a White House press release, Biden made it clear that the United States and its allies would respond if Russia invaded Ukraine again.
Is it a question of Ukraine or NATO enlargement?
Niinistö thought that the current tensions between the United States and Russia could intensify with NATO enlargement. Russia has demanded that both the United States and NATO stop its eastward expansion.
"Inevitably, when you think of messages, especially from the Kremlin, the emphasis seems to inevitably be on those general requirements – security guarantees, as they say. Ukraine seems to provide a framework for such a debate," Niinistö said.
The president spoke with Putin on the phone in mid-December. At the time, Niinistö said that Finland kept its chances of joining the Western Union open.
Niinistö said that he does not believe that NATO will close its doors on Finland right now.
"I think this is a very clear situation for Finland. I do not think that we will have to face any obstacles to membership as a result of Russia’s negotiations with the United States or NATO." he said.
"This decision is in our own hands."
Estonian artillery request
In the meantime, Estonia has stated that it wants to supply Ukraine with Soviet-made cannons and ammunition that it originally bought from Finland. To continue the donation, Estonia needs permission from Finland and Germany, from which Finland bought howitzers in the 1990s.
"Of course, the situation in Ukraine is very sensitive, and Finland has long had the principle of not handing over weapons to conflict zones. It will certainly be considered" Niinistö said at Estonia’s request.
Source: The Nordic Page