Former Finnish President Sauli Niinistö believes that Russian President Vladimir Putin is prepared to engage in negotiations with European nations. Speaking to “Stern”, Niinistö noted that while Putin has signaled a willingness to talk, he also warned, “don’t think that I am weak”. However, Niinistö urged that one must weigh Putin’s words and actions carefully, citing the recent heavy attacks on Ukraine and the testing of the new Sarmat missile as evidence of this contradiction. According to Niinistö, Putin may indeed be open to discussing war and peace in Ukraine, but he simultaneously wishes to demonstrate his power.
Having met with Putin dozens of times during his own tenure, Niinistö stressed that negotiations with Moscow must address the future European security architecture, a topic that extends far beyond the conflict in Ukraine. He emphasized that Europe must be heavily involved in this discussion.
Furthermore, a second critical area for discussion must be hybrid warfare. Niinistö sees the potential danger in hybrid conflict as comparable to the arms buildup after World War II. To prevent further escalation, he argued that urgent talks with Russia are needed to establish similar agreements for restricting hybrid warfare. Drawing a parallel to the Cold War era, Niinistö stated, “We have to reach Russia where the two superpowers arrived with atomic weapons in the 1950s”.
Niinistö has frequently been viewed by experts as a potential European mediator for dialogue with Moscow, a role which he explicitly stated he does not rule out for himself.
