Russia ready to work with non-NATO states that border the Baltic: Putin

By Reuters - July 27, 2017

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Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a joint news conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, at the Hotel Punkaharju in Savonlinna, Finland, July 27, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (R) welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Hotel Punkaharju in Savonlinna, Eastern Finland July 27, 2017. Lehtikuva/Martti Kainulainen/via REUTERS

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto attend a joint news conference at the Hotel Punkaharju in Savonlinna, Finland, July 27, 2017. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via REUTERS

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin chat as their respective delegations start their official discussions at the Hotel Punkaharju in Savonlinna, Eastern Finland July 27, 2017. Lehtikuva/Martti Kainulainen/via REUTERS

SAVONLINNA, Finland — Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that Russia was ready to cooperate with neutral countries that bordered the Baltic Sea like Finland which is not part of the NATO military alliance.

Speaking on an official visit to Finland, Putin said an ongoing joint naval exercise with China in the Baltic Sea was a threat to nobody.

Putin, speaking at a news conference with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto, said Moscow’s military cooperation with China was “an element of stability and security in the world”.

The drill started on Tuesday. The Russian and Chinese ships, which set off from a Russian naval base near the Polish border, will practice shooting at naval and aerial targets, the defense ministry said.

Reporting by Denis Pinchuk.