2 years ago
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said he wouldn't play ice hockey with Vladimir Putin
The Kremlin has proposed it will be no extraordinary misfortune for President Vladimir Putin after his Finnish partner, Sauli Niinisto, said he wouldn't think about playing ice hockey again with the Russian chief.
Addressing the Italian news source la Repubblica this week, Niinisto was gotten some information about a 2012 appearance with Putin on the ice and whether he could at any point rehash it.
"No, I wouldn't play any longer," answered the Finnish government official, adding that he didn't believe Putin to be a "accomplice."
Gotten some information about the remarks, Kremlin representative Dmitry Peskov noticed the positive effect that game might have on relations, yet recommended that Putin would in any case not be passing up a major opportunity.
"Sport, and such group activities as hockey, add to the development of common trust. What's more, starting here of view, at one time it was a generally excellent, positive practice at the earliest reference point of Mr. Niinisto's official way," said Peskov.
"All things considered, presently he says he won't play. [But] Putin has no lack of individuals for his group... That is the reason Putin plays hockey and does it routinely," Peskov added.
The Russian president is known as a sharp hockey fan and has consistently shown up in the Night Hockey League in his country, which was established under his drive in 2011.
Niinisto comments come as Russian-Finnish relations highlight in the titles after arrangement was gone after Finland and Sweden to join NATO.
Putin answered the advancement by saying "we don't disapprove of Sweden and Finland that we sadly do with Ukraine.
"We have no regional debates, we have nothing that would concern us with respect to Finland and Sweden's NATO participations. Assuming they need to, let them."
The Russian chief added, in any case, that "they need to plainly comprehend that they had no dangers previously, however presently, assuming military powers and framework are situated there, we will be compelled to answer blow for blow, and make similar dangers for the domains we are compromised from."
Hockey has been among the games to force sanctions on Russia, after worldwide overseeing body the IIHF prohibited Russian and Belarusian groups from contending in its competitions.
The IIHF likewise stripped Russia of the 2023 World Junior Championships, as well as the men's 2023 World Championships - the last option of which will currently be co-facilitated by Finland and Latvia.
Finnish group Jokerit Helsinki recently played in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) yet pulled out following the beginning of the contention in Ukraine.
The Finnish Ice Hockey Federation has additionally said it will prohibit any Finnish players from the public group assuming that they play at Russian clubs.
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