Finnish President Sauli Niinistö on Saturday called his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin over the Nordic country's impending NATO bid that has sparked hostility from Moscow, Helsinki reported.
Read alsoWhy Finland's NATO membership is a major geopolitical upheaval
“
The conversation was direct and straightforward and went without a hitch.
Avoiding tensions was considered important
,” the Finnish head of state said in a statement from the presidency.
The Nordic country "
wants to deal with the practical issues of being a neighboring country of Russia in a correct and professional way
", assured Helsinki.
An announcement of candidacy for NATO expected on Sunday
Finnish President and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced on Thursday that they wanted to join
the US-led military alliance "
without delay ", with a candidacy announcement expected on Sunday.
Moscow had threatened to take "
technical-military
" measures in retaliation.
Sweden must also announce in the coming days its candidacy for NATO.
According to Helsinki, Sauli Niinistö told Vladimir Putin that Moscow's demands at the end of 2021 for a freeze on NATO expansion and then the invasion of Ukraine at the end of February had "
fundamentally
" changed "
the security environment of Finland
”.
On Wednesday, the Finnish president had estimated that Moscow was responsible for the accession project of his country, historically non-aligned and not a member of NATO.
“
You (Russia) caused this.
Look in the mirror
,” he said.
Sauli Niinistö and Ms. Marin are due to formalize Finland's decision to be a candidate for NATO on Sunday, with a meeting of Parliament scheduled for Monday.
