Russia never was the first to ruin ties with neighbors – Kremlin

Russia has never been the first to damage relations with other countries and continues to seek good ties with its neighbors, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has said. His remarks followed Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s comments on Monday about the possibility of restoring political relations with Russia.

Despite previously beneficial cooperation, Finland’s 2023 decision to join NATO and align its military with the US-led bloc has effectively “reduced the relations to zero,” Peskov said. The same applies to Sweden, he added, which joined NATO last year.

Quoting President Vladimir Putin, Peskov said Moscow “never had any problems” with either Finland or Sweden. He reiterated that “Russia remains open to restoring ties with those countries that want it.”

Speaking in London on Monday, Stubb said Finland must be ready for the eventual reopening of political relations with Moscow.

”In Finland, we must mentally prepare ourselves for the fact that relations will open up on a political level at some point. At this stage, we cannot say exactly when. Nothing removes the fact that Russia is, and will always be, Finland’s neighbor — 1,350 kilometers of neighborly relations,” Stubb said, referring to the land border between the two nations.

He added that relations between the two states depend on the end of Ukraine conflict and negotiations on restoring relations.

Finland applied for NATO membership in 2022 following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict and formally joined the alliance in 2023. Since then, Helsinki has supported Kiev politically and militarily, with President Stubb backing Ukraine’s bids to join both NATO and the EU.

Moscow has for decades condemned the US-led military bloc’s expansion towards its borders, viewing it as a threat to its national security.

Finland closed all border crossings with Russia in 2023 and in November Helsinki’s interior ministry ruled out lifting any travel restrictions.

Russia supplied Finland with raw materials, fuels, and electricity, while Finnish exports to Russia included machinery, vehicles, chemicals, and paper. Tourism also played a key role in the relationship. Russian visitors also contributed significantly to Finland’s economy.