Putin tells Finland that abandoning its neutrality would be a mistake – Kremlin

Finland’s rejecting the traditional policy of military neutrality would be wrong as there are no threats to the country’s security, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a telephone conversation with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto, the press service of the Kremlin reported on Saturday.

“The presidents had a sincere exchange of views over the announced decision by Finland’s leadership to apply for NATO membership,” the report said.

“Vladimir Putin stressed that rejecting the traditional policy of military neutrality would be wrong since there are no threats to Finland’s security. Such a change in the country’s foreign policy course could have a negative effect on Russia-Finland relations, which have been built over the course of many years in the spirit of neighborliness and partnership cooperation and have a mutually beneficial nature,” the Kremlin noted.

The conversation was held at the Finnish side’s initiative, the Kremlin added.

The discussion on Finland’s NATO membership ramped up in early April. The main members of the alliance welcomed the idea. The majority of the country’s parliament members also supported it.