Putin clarifies Russia-China military ties, deplores possible US sanctions

DEPLORES US INVESTIGATIONS

As for the investigations into the so-called Russian influence in the US presidential election, Putin said the effort was to create anti-Russian hysteria. He claimed that the investigations were not real investigations, as they lack a full study of the situation.

He noted that the election of a US president has nothing to do with Russia, and it is not Russia's business to evaluate what the US president does.

The Russian president criticized the US practice as an effort to "make US legislation valid in other countries", and said Russian-US relations were being sacrificed to US domestic issues.

But Putin stopped short of defining what possible counter measures Russia would adopt if the United States would impose new sanctions against Russia. Putin said he would first see what the final outcome of the sanctions would be.

Niinisto warned that any new sanctions would affect other countries and therefore there are talks within the European Union.

Local analysts noted possible new US sanctions against Russia could affect the expansion of the Baltic gas pipelines known as Nordstream 2.

APPRECIATES BALTIC NEUTRAL COUNTRIES

Putin also expressed his appreciation of the roles of the "neutral" countries along the shores of the Baltic.

There are six NATO countries in the Baltic region, whereas Finland and Sweden are not affiliated with the military alliance.

Long-time Finnish MP Ilkka Kanerva, chairman of the parliamentary defence committee, said that Putin again expressed between the lines that he does not want Finland or Sweden to join NATO.

"When Putin mentioned 'neutral countries in the Baltic sphere' and 'Finnish independent foreign policy', he sent the message he does not want to see all of the Baltic basin as members of NATO."

Markku Kivinen, the director of the Aleksanteri Institute of Helsinki University, said Putin sent a tacit message to Finland to act independently in the European Union.

Interviewed by the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Kivinen referred to Putin's appreciation of Finland for its "independent foreign policy".