ROME, June 30 Finnish President Sauli Niinistö in an interview with the Italian newspaper la Repubblica said he would not play hockey with Russian President Vladimir Putin again. Niinistö was asked about a photo of the Finnish president playing hockey with Putin. «But it was 2012, my first visit to Russia,» the Finnish leader said. “No, I wouldn’t play again,” he answered a clarifying question. Speaking about the changes “over 10 years” and whether Putin has turned from a “partner” into an “enemy” during this time, Niinistö said that he “would not name Putin partner.» «Sharing this long border, we have to solve everyday problems. In the Gulf of Finland, for example, sea transportation is always intense. There are families with parents of both nationalities. In general, Russia was not a partner, but a neighbor to be taken into account,» — Niinistö said.
