Russian Matryoshka dolls depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump are on sale in the Ruslania book store in Helsinki on July 9, 2018. (Photo: VCG)
Finnish Foreign Minister Timo Soini said Sunday that the upcoming meeting of US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin is important yet the two sides hold low expectations for the results.
Soini told Finnish national broadcaster Yle that both the US and Russian presidents wanted to keep the expectations relatively low to avoid disappointment.
"But the fact that they meet with each other is important," he said.
Soini said that both the United States and Russia would like to bring the war in Syria to an end, but the progress may not be made in Helsinki.
Something could be started in Helsinki that would lead to fruitful results later, he said.
Trump arrived in Helsinki with his wife Melania Trump on Sunday evening.
The couple was greeted by US Ambassador to Finland Robert Pence and his wife Suzy Pence at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. Finnish Ambassador to the United States Kirsti Kauppi and Finnish Presidential Chief of Staff Jouko Siukosaari were also present, Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat reported.
Putin is expected to arrive on Monday morning, and the two heads of state will meet at the Finnish Presidential Palace in the afternoon. It will be the first formal bilateral meeting between the two.
