"Despite everything, it is still considered important to try and maintain contact with Russia," president Sauli Niinisto told a press conference.

Both France's President Macron and Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz have spoken to Putin since the start of the invasion, Niinisto pointed out.

He said the message he had received from Scholz and Macron was that "it is frankly my duty to be in touch with Putin" if possible.

The Finnish president has long maintained a regular dialogue with the Russian leader and has sometimes been characterised as an "interpreter" between the Kremlin and the west.

Niinisto warned against the dangers of the conflict escalating further, but said "I don't even know yet" what the content of the call will be.

Niinisto repeated his call for Finland to decide "without hesitation but carefully" on the question of whether or not to try to join NATO.

Russia's assault on Ukraine has sparked a growing public appetite in Finland and neighbouring Sweden for joining the military alliance as a deterrent against potential Russian aggression.

Niinisto said the decision on joining was one for parliament, and said "the time for conclusions" would be after lawmakers have received a report on the risks and benefits of joining, which is expected in the coming weeks.

Before the invasion, Finland's government, as well as most political parties, generally kept their views silent on whether or not the country should join the military alliance, but have insisted that Finland should make sure the door to NATO remains open.

On Wednesday, Defence Minister Antti Kaikkonen, visiting his Washington counterpart Lloyd Austin, said that "right now is not the right moment for posting a membership application" to NATO, because "discussions on this are just beginning in Finland."