Finnish President Alexander Stubb believes the time has come for Europe to begin negotiations with Russia independently.

Axar.az reports that in an interview with the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, he said European leaders are discussing who could serve as a point of contact.

“Yes, it is time to start negotiations with Russia. I do not know when that will happen. We discussed this issue with European leaders who will establish contact, but we do not yet know who it will be,” he said.

“If U.S. policy toward Russia and Ukraine does not align with Europe’s interests, then we ourselves must engage directly,” the Finnish president added.

According to him, the most important thing is coordinating all actions among Europeans, especially between the E5 countries — Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom and Poland — as well as the Nordic and Baltic states located along the border.

“Whether it will be a special envoy or a group of leaders, we will see,” he added.