Finnish president again calls on Putin to speak directly with Zelensky

The President of Finland again today offered Vladimir Putin to speak directly with Ukrainian President Zelensky, during a telephone conversation aimed at keeping the diplomatic channel open despite the fact that the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues.

Sauli Niinisto, Vladimir Putin’s regular interlocutor in recent years, told the Russian president about “the need to achieve an immediate ceasefire and ensure the safe evacuation of civilians through humanitarian corridors,” according to a statement from the Finnish presidency.

Ninisto also discussed with Putin the need to ensure the safety of Ukrainian nuclear power plants and told the Russian president that the worsening human suffering greatly affects Western views of Russia.

Earlier, the Finnish president had a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky and later wrote on Twitter that he was “doing everything he can for peace.”

“During the telephone conversation with Vladimir Putin, Niinisto” referred, once again, to President Zelensky’s readiness to speak directly with President Putin, “Helsinki said.

The Finnish-Russian communication was motivated by French President Emanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Solz, both of whom have repeatedly tried to mediate with Vladimir Putin since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine.

Following a meeting in Turkey between the leaders of Russian and Ukrainian diplomacy, Ankara expressed hope for a summit between Presidents Putin and Zelensky in a bid to find a way out of the war waged by the Russian president.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov left the door open for a meeting, saying Vladimir Putin “would not be opposed in principle.”