President Sauli Niinistö talked for an hour on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday. Earlier in the day, President Niinistö also had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

President Sauli Niinistö. Photograph: Matti Porre/The Finnish president’s office

President Sauli Niinistö talked for an hour on the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, President Niinistö said on Twitter late in the afternoon.

Some of the details of the conversation were revealed in separate statements by the office of the Finnish president and the office of the Russian president.

According to the Finnish president’s office, the conversation “focused exclusively on the war in Ukraine.” “President Niinistö stressed the worsening catastrophe and the deep human suffering in Ukraine, which also has a strong influence on the public opinion in the west,” the president’s office noted.

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According to a statement by the Russian president’s office, President Putin talked very specifically about “the special operation to protect the region of Donbas, the goals of the operation and the negotiations between the representatives of Ukraine.”

The Finnish president’s office noted that President Niinistö underscored the need to achieve an immediate ceasefire and to ensure a safe evacuation of civilians through humanitarian corridors. In addition, President Niinistö drew attention to the safety and security of the nuclear energy facilities in Ukraine.

Read also:  War in Ukraine; Finnish Perspective

The statement by the office of the Russian president noted that both presidents drew special attention to humanitarian questions and to the safety of civilians and opportunities for their evacuation.

Earlier in the day, President Sauli Niinistö had a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. “The presidents discussed the situation of the war in Ukraine and Finland’s support and aid for Ukraine, “the Finnish president’s office noted. “Particular themes were the need to secure a safe evacuation of civilians through humanitarian corridors and the safety of nuclear facilities. The presidents agreed to continue their contact.”

Later, the Finnish president’s office noted that President Niinistö told President Putin about the conversation he had had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and brought up, once more, President Zelensky’s preparedness to talk directly with President Putin.

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