President of Finland on Ukraine-Russia talks: Battlefield is only way to achieve peace

"I have been involved in peace mediation for many years. And of course, when you do peace mediation, it all starts with dialogue, after dialogue you start setting parameters. But I think the cold truth in this particular case is that the only way we can achieve peace is through the battlefield," he said.

According to the Finnish president, the only thing Russian dictator Vladimir Putin understands is power.

"And in many ways, this war is too big for him to lose. And I just sometimes wonder whether peace is almost impossible from his perspective. Now, having said that, I think, there's a shift in the language coming from the Ukrainians and President Zelenskyy," Stubb said.

He emphasized that, in particular, there are talks about a peaceful forum that is needed.

"Obviously, the Swiss will be hosting that at some stage in the near future. But peace has to be two-sided. It's not only a one-way track. You need the tracks to meet at some stage. But when the conditions for that are suitable, I don't know. To be honest right now, we have absolutely no political dialogue with Russia. And I don't think we can, nor should we," the Finnish president said.

Ukraine-Russia negotiations

Ukraine and Russia held several rounds of negotiations at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Currently, the Ukrainian government says that Ukraine will not return to the negotiating table until Moscow withdraws its troops.

Earlier, the American channel NBC News, citing American and European officials, reported that the US and the EU had begun discussing privately with Ukraine the possibility of peaceful negotiations with Russia. According to the media, these discussions included questions about what Ukraine might have to give up in exchange for peace.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy refuted the media reports. He emphasized that no one is pressuring Ukraine regarding negotiation matters.