Sauli Niinistö spoke with the President of Russia Vladimir Putin by phone on Friday, reports from the Office of the President of the Republic.
The conversation focused "exclusively on the war in Ukraine," Niinistö is said to have emphasized the impact of the conflict on Ukraine in the form of human suffering and its role in influencing Western public opinion.
He called for an immediate ceasefire and stressed the need to allow safe passage for civilians wishing to flee the war zone. The President also stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.
During an hour-long call, Niinistö told Putin about a conversation he had with the Ukrainian president. Volodymyr Zelensky earlier that day and confirmed Zelensky’s willingness to discuss resolving the conflict with Putin.
Niinistö told the media on Thursday that European leaders e.g. Emmanuel Macron and Olaf Scholz have emphasized the importance of maintaining a dialogue with Russia.
He also stressed the need to prevent the war in Ukraine from spreading to other parts of Europe.
However, foreign and security policy experts interviewed by Yle have suggested that Finland would hardly take on the role of mediator in the conflict that began two weeks ago.
Source: The Nordic Page