Finland Times

 

File Photo of President Sauli Niinistö. Photo - Lehtikuva.

President Sauli Niinistö in an interview with a Canadian newspaper has warned that Cold War-style policies may return, if Russia and the West are unable to maintain a constructive dialogue.

 

Speaking to The Globe and Mail while in Ottawa, Niinistö emphasised that Russia and the West should keep talking to prevent the situation from escalating further.

 

“My thinking is that, yes, the catastrophe has hit Ukraine, Ukrainian people, and that is [a] terrible catastrophe. That’s unbelievable,” he said. “… but there’s an additional element, and that is more global. That is the question of whether we are entering back to a Cold War situation, which is not beneficial for anybody,” said President Niinistö in the interview.

 

The president pointed out that it was important to remember who started the conflict. Niinistö called on Russia to respect the current ceasefire and be constructive in negotiations about the future of Eastern Ukraine.

 

The West should be willing to consider lifting sanctions and maintain open lines of communication, if Russia plays its part, said the president in the interview.