Finland Times

 

File photo - President of the Republic Sauli Niinistö. Photo – Lehtikuva.

President Sauli Niinistö has expressed fears that the relationship gap between Russia and the west was widening because of the country’s different views to the western liberal way of thinking.

 

The Finnish president expressed the concerns during an interview with Hufvudstadsbladet, a Swedish-language newspaper published from Helsinki, saying that the present situation was created after the deterioration of relations during the regime of President Vladimir Putin’s previous term.

 

Niinistö, however, said he was not sure how the situation would affect Russia's relationship with other countries.

 

"Finland and EU countries had hoped for better cooperation with Russia. But if the changes affects the relationship between the countries, it is not a step forward," said the president.

 

Niinistö also observed that the present average Russian attitude were similar to the Finnish conservatism that was manifested during the 1960s and ‘70s.