You're reading: Finnish president stresses need to stop disastrous developments in Ukraine

The events occurring in Ukraine reflect on the Russian-Finnish relations and have had a global effect, with some saying about the start of a new Cold War, said Finnish President Sauli Niinisto.

“This disaster occurring in Ukraine is reflecting on all of us and
has affected all of us and has a wider reflection (…) Some are saying
about the start of a new Cold War,” Niinisto said at a meeting with
Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on Aug. 15.

He suggested “talking about the possibilities that will help us
settle the situation in Ukraine, stop the negative cycle of events and
help stabilize the situation there.”

“Because this concerns all of us,” the Finnish president reiterated.

Niinisto said that the events in Ukraine have led, “unfortunately, to
a certain effect on the traditional relations between our countries, as
well as negative changes on a global scale.”

“Of course, the political events, the situation that is there now
reflect on the development of our relations, especially in the foreign
economic sphere,” the Finnish president said.

He admitted that “because of the political changes we have found ourselves in a new situation.”