Saturday 14 May 2022 01:10 PM Finland's President tells Putin his country will join NATO after Russia cuts ... trends now
The Finnish President told Vladimir Putin his country will join NATO in a 'direct and straightforward' phone call this morning.
Sauli Niinistö said the conversation was 'conducted without aggravations' as both parties worked to 'avoid tensions'.
The discussion came as Russia cut off electricity supplies to the country and a Putin lackey boasted that the Kremlin could destroy Finland in 'ten seconds'.
Finnish President Sauli Niinistö (pictured at a press conference last week) initiated the call
A readout from the Finnish President's Office stated: 'President Niinistö announced that Finland decides to seek NATO membership in the next few days.'
Russia's invasion of Ukraine and cyber-attacks on Finland and Sweden have 'altered the security environment' in Helsinki, Putin was told.
It wasn't revealed how long the call went on or whether Niinisto had consulted other world leaders before speaking to Putin.
President Niinistö reportedly reminded the Kremlin leader that they agreed every independent nation maximise its security during their first meeting in 2012.
'This is what is happening now, too', Niinistö said.
Putin (pictured during a Security Council meeting on Friday) stayed calm, Helsinki reported
Finland will become the sixth NATO member to share a land border with Russian territory
'By joining NATO Finland strengthens its own security and assumes its responsibility. It is not away from anyone else. Finland wants to take care of the practical questions arising from being a neighbour of Russia in a correct and professional manner.'
The phone call was initiated by Finland, Helsinki said.
President Niinistö commented: 'The conversation was direct and straight-forward and it was conducted without aggravations. Avoiding tensions was considered important'
He repeated his concern about the human cost of the war in Ukraine and stressed the importance of a peace deal.
Putin ally and MP Aleksey Zhuravlyov had warned Russia's Satan-2 nuke would destroy Finland in 'ten seconds' - and could reach the UK in just three minutes.
Boris Johnson (left) and President Niinistö at a press conference in Helsinki on Wednesday
Putin (pictured yesterday) is prompting frustration as his war in Ukraine continues to falter
The Duma defence committee deputy chairman fumed: 'If Finland wants to join this bloc, then our goal is absolutely legitimate - to question the existence of this state. This is logical.'
Zhuravlyov's wild threats signal frustrations at Putin's faltering invasion of Ukraine - and ire at Finland's NATO bid.
Russia cut off electricity supplies to Finland this morning.
The Nordic country imports ten per cent of its electricity from Russia and will not suffer power shortages, officials said.
Asked if Russia would now rebase nuclear weapons onto its border with Finland, Zhuravlyov said: 'What for? We don't need to.
'We can hit with a Sarmat from Siberia, and even reach the UK.
'And if we strike from Kaliningrad... the hypersonic's reaching time is 200 seconds - so go ahead, guys.
'On the Finnish border we will have not strategic weapons, but Kinzhal-class, one that will reach Finland
