President Stubb calls for moral preparation as Finland eyes future ties with Russia

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has emphasised the importance of morally preparing for the eventual restoration of diplomatic ties between Finland and Russia.

While relations remain tense, Stubb acknowledged in a recent press conference that at some point, political dialogue between the two nations will need to resume, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

“We need to mentally prepare for the moment when relations will open at the political level,” Stubb said. “At this stage, we cannot predict exactly when that will happen. However, nothing changes the fact that Russia is, and will always be, Finland’s neighbor, with 1,350 kilometers of shared border.”

The president's comments come as Finland continues navigating its position within the broader European political landscape, balancing its historical relationship with Russia with the ongoing geopolitical situation in Ukraine. Stubb also made it clear that the pace and nature of any potential rapprochement will largely depend on the outcome of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, underscoring that Finland’s future relations with Russia are closely tied to the resolution of the crisis.

Earlier, President Stubb called on the West to force Russia into peace, accusing Moscow of prolonging the peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. He claimed that Russia has adopted a strategy of presenting new demands, which, according to him, is delaying the negotiation process. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in turn, proposed discussing the introduction of temporary administration in Ukraine under the auspices of the United Nations and several other countries. He emphasised that such a move would enable democratic elections and lead to the establishment of a functional government.

By Naila Huseynova