Finnish President Calls on West to Maintain Relations With Russia

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - It is important for Western countries to find a way to maintain relations with Russia, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said on Sunday.

"I don’t mean any great friendship, but the capability to tolerate, even understand each other a bit," Niinisto said in an interview, adding that trust will be needed after the end of the Ukraine conflict to ensure that "a new war is not waiting behind the door."

Speaking about the risks of a nuclear war, Niinisto said that countries supplying weapons to Ukraine need to take into account the possible escalation of the conflict into "a big war, that’s world war."

"We’re in a very sensitive situation. Even small things can change matters a great deal and unfortunately for the worse. That is the risk of such large-scale warfare. The risk that nuclear weapons could be used is tremendous," the Finnish president added.

Moscow has repeatedly said that it is open to peace negotiations as long as Kiev recognizes the territorial gains Russian forces have made since the launch of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.