Russian President Vladimir Putin is open to normalizing his country’s relations with Finland, should Helsinki desire it, the Kremlin said. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov noted that bilateral relations are currently in a “bad state.”

Finnish President Alexander Stubb informed his British counterpart Keir Starmer yesterday that Helsinki needs to prepare for the restoration of ties with Russia. Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia, joined NATO in 2023—a move Moscow then labeled a historic mistake.

On the topic of potential new sanctions on Russian oil by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Kremlin stated that Moscow continues to hold talks with the U.S., adding that the processes surrounding a potential peace agreement to end the war in Ukraine are complex.

At the same time, the Kremlin announced that President Putin will hold talks later today with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on a three-day visit to Moscow.

In an interview with the state news agency RIA today, Wang described China and Russia as “eternal friends, never enemies” and welcomed signs of improved U.S.-Russia relations.