Finland's President Sauli Niinistö had a telephone conversation with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday afternoon to discuss possibilities to alleviate the tense situation on the Crimean peninsula and at the border between Russia and Ukraine.
According to the President's Office in Helsinki, President Niinistö confirmed Finland’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The President's Office also reported Niinistö as saying that Finland considers the implementation of the association and free trade agreements between the EU and Ukraine to be important.
The two also discussed Ukraine’s intention to establish the so-called Crimean Platform, an initiative for a new consultative and coordination format for international response to the occupation of Crimea.
On Tuesday, Niinistö had what was described as a "long" telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin that focused on the tense situation on the Crimean peninsula and on the Russian-Ukrainian border.
According to the President's Office, in that conversation 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.
