Russian President Vladimir Putin appears open to easing tensions with Finland, provided that Helsinki is also willing, according to the Kremlin. This was announced today by Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin’s spokesperson, who noted that relations between Russia and Finland are currently in a ‘bad state.’ Finnish President Alexander Stubb informed his British counterpart, King Starmer, that Helsinki needs to prepare for restoring ties with Russia. Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, joined NATO in 2023, a move Moscow described as a historic mistake at the time. Regarding potential new sanctions on Russian oil from former U.S. President Trump, the Kremlin stated that talks with the American side continue. On the possibility of a peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin said the processes surrounding it are complex. Meanwhile, the Kremlin announced that President Putin will later today hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on a three-day visit to Moscow. Wang characterized China and Russia as ‘forever friends, never enemies’ during an interview he gave today to the state news agency RIA, where he welcomed signs of easing tensions between the U.S. and Russia.