“We are seeing more family disputes, because there are more Finnish-Russian families in Finland,” Stubb said.

He emphasised that there is no reason to fear disputes with Russia.

The NCP sees the prospect of visa-free travel and free trade as the most important bilateral issues for Finland and Russia in the future.

The party’s chair, Minister of Finance Jyrki Katainen, voiced the view that as a state, Russia is no longer an economic great power, although it is a raw material power.

“Russia sees itself as a great power, and that is a reality,” he said.

According to Katainen, Russia has changed its behaviour toward other countries, including Finland. He said that there is no reason to panic in Finland if there are differences.

“We defend our own values and our own principles of the rule of law. If there are differences, then there are differences,” Katainen said.

He emphasised that Finland has no obligation to make concessions in values onto which it builds its rule of law.