Finland: Putin says Russia is ‘disappointed’ by US missile test

M/S Russian President Vladimir Putin and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto arriving for press conference, Helsinki
SOT, Sauli Niinisto, Finnish President (Finnish): “We had a good and intensive discussion but there are a lot of things left to talk about later tonight. Of course, we talked about the Finnish-Russian relations and we noted that there are no problems about this matter.”
M/S Press conference of Putin and Niinisto *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “We are grateful to Finland for a pragmatic approach to one of major European projects – Nord Stream 2. I can inform you that today works of laying this piping system in Finnish exclusive economic zone have been finished.”
M/S Press conference of Putin and Niinisto *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “We are interested in full-scale restoration of relations with the European Union. We expect that the new EU leadership will exert a positive attitude for maintaining mutually beneficial partnership relations towards our country.”
M/S Reporter asking question *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “Russia respects human rights and upholds its citizens’ rights. Events (Moscow protest), which you are talking about, the protests, are not unique for the world as a whole and for Europe especially. We witness similar events in many European capitals. And those events are much more massive and they are also held under political slogans and they have harsh consequences for the participants. There are a lot of dead, thousands of injured protesters, including severely wounded, and thousands of police officers.”
M/S Putin *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “I can say that we are disappointed by what we are seeing. Undeniably, tests of the land-based intermediate-range missile which naturally runs counter to the INF Treaty, exacerbates the security situation in the world as a whole and in Europe in particular."
M/S Journalist asking question *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Russian): “Americans tested this missile [variant of Tomahawk] very quickly after the announcement of withdrawal from the treaty [Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty]. That is why we have every reason to think that works concerning the missile, the landing – it is a marine missile – were started well ahead of a search for motives of leaving the treaty.”
M/S Press conference of Putin and Niinisto
SCRIPT
Moscow is “disappointed” by Washington testing a missile that used to be forbidden under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a joint press conference with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto in Helsinki on Wednesday.
“Americans tested this missile [variant of Tomahawk] very quickly after the announcement of withdrawal from the treaty,” the Russian president said of the arms test which the Pentagon said took place on August 18.
Putin also talked discussed the recent protests in Moscow related to the disqualification of opposition candidates from local city council elections.
“Russia respects human rights and upholds its citizens’ rights. Events which you are talking about, the protests, are not unique for the world as a whole and for Europe especially,” said the president.
During the press conference the Russian leader also announced that the Finnish portion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project had been completed, and stated that Russia is interested in restoring fully-fledged relations with the European Union.
Finnish President Niinisto on his part noted the good relations between Helsinki and Moscow.