Finland’s president urges Putin to reduce tensions on Russia-Ukraine border

President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö had a long phone call with President of Russia Vladimir Putin on Tuesday evening, April 13.

This was said in a press release of the Office of the President of Finland.

The presidents discussed the tense situation on the Crimean peninsula and at the border between Russia and Ukraine. President Niinistö expressed his serious concern over an escalation of the situation due to the troop movements and raised the need for dialogue and actions to reduce tensions.

President Putin told about his conversation with U.S. President Biden, as well as their planned meeting at the UN Climate Change Conference.

President Niinistö informed of his initiative to strengthen the 50-year-old Helsinki Spirit in 2025, and it was discussed in a positive tone.

In addition, the prison conditions of Alexei Navalny were discussed.

As reported, the Russian armed forces have recently been building up troops near the state border of Ukraine in the north, east and south, as well as in the occupied Crimea. In addition, the number of ceasefire violations by the armed formations of the Russian Federation in eastern Ukraine has increased; there are losses among the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, the Russian Federation is conducting a propaganda campaign to justify possible aggression against Ukraine.

The United States, other Western countries, as well as the EU and NATO, have come out in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity against the backdrop of Russia's escalation in eastern Ukraine.

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