The President of Finland does not believe in the threat from Russia

President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö. File photoWASHINGTON, May 15. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö said he did not believe in a direct threat to the country from Russia. «I don't think they were planning attacks on Finland then or now,» — Niinistö said in an interview with CNN.The State Duma predicted the economic bankruptcy of Finland in NATOHe noted that the country's intention to join NATO is due to the fact that «the security situation has changed.» Niinistö said he was surprised by the calmness with which Russian leader Vladimir Putin took the conversation, where the President of Finland conveyed information about his intention to join NATO. «The surprise was that he took it so calmly,» Niinistö said. Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a telephone conversation with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinistö on May 14, noted that abandoning the traditional policy of military neutrality would be a mistake, since there were no threats Finnish security does not exist. In his opinion, a change in the country's foreign policy could negatively affect Russian-Finnish relations, which for many years were built in the spirit of good neighborliness and partnership cooperation, were mutually beneficial. Finland and Sweden started talking about the possibility of abandoning long-term neutrality and joining NATO against the backdrop of the Russian operations in Ukraine. The head of the alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, noted that the alliance would be glad to see Finland and Sweden in its ranks and provide them with the opportunity to quickly join. NATO expects these countries to make their own decisions about possible membership in the coming «months and weeks,» US Permanent Representative to NATO Julianne Smith said. She added that the United States would welcome the accession of these countries to the alliance. NATO will find a consensus on the entry of Finland and Sweden, said Blinken