大象传媒

Finland鈥檚 President Sauli Niinisto has told the 大象传媒 that negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine can only begin when 鈥淯kraine announces that they are satisfied,鈥� and it cannot be driven by outside parties.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, Finland has taken a major strategic decision to abandon its decades long policy of military non-alignment and apply for Nato membership.

It has been sending military aid and financial support to Ukraine and has decided to strengthen its 1,300km (807 mile) border with Russia.

Pressed by the Hardtalk programme鈥檚 Stephen Sackur, Mr Niinisto said 鈥渋t seems to be the case,鈥� that President Vladimir Putin was responsible for war crimes committed during the Ukraine conflict, but he was awaiting the results of international investigations.

Russia has denied deliberately attacking civilians. It accuses Ukrainian forces of targeting civilians in separatist-held areas of the country with artillery, which Ukraine denies.

French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz have been trying to exert international pressure on Mr Putin to stop the war. President Niinisto said he supported their attempts at 鈥渟aving human lives鈥�.

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