"Finland does not perceive any direct military threat coming from Russia," Niinistö said during an interview with the online newspaper Lenta.ru.
The minister also said that due to the fact that the ongoing crisis in Ukraine may in fact become permanent, he believes that Finland should maintain its contacts with Russia.
Niinisto also remarked that the increase in Russia’s military activity in the North isn't cause for concern either as Moscow’s operations there are fairly transparent, citing an inspection of a Russian military garrison in Alakurti by Finnish military officials.
"Like I said earlier, Finland does not perceive any direct military threat from Russia, but we continue to monitor Russia’s political and military activity," he said.
Niinisto also said that while Finland is not a part of any military bloc, it requires international cooperation to maintain its military potential.
"Finland has been actively cooperating with NATO for over 20 years now, and taking part in joint exercises. In accordance with a policy we adopted long before the Ukrainian conflict, we intend to deepen our cooperation with NATO," he said.
