On December 30, the Kremlin sent greetings with congratulations for the new year to a large number of governments and heads of state. But not all countries receive a greeting from the Russian president.

On list of 36 countries is not Norway, the neighboring country that shares a 198 km long northern northern border with Russia. The two countries also share vast waters in the Barents Sea.

The new Norwegian government has made it clear that it aims to intensify the political dialogue with Russia. The policy document issued when the government took office in November underlines that “bilateral cooperation with Russia will be further developed”, with an emphasis on marine resources, climate and coastal issues in the Barents Sea and the Arctic.

At the same time, both Sweden and Finland are among the countries that the Russian president visits.

In his statement to Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Putin emphasized that the bilateral relationship had a constructive and good neighborly character.

“The Russian head of state also expresses hope for the continuation of joint work on key issues on the bilateral and international agenda,” the Kremlin said. informs.

In her greeting to Sweden’s new Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Putin expresses hope for a constructive development of the bilateral political dialogue and that issues of trade, economic relations and humanitarian relations meet central interests in both countries.

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Among the recipients of Putin’s New Year greetings are also important European countries such as Germany, France, Spain and Italy. He also greets several international organizations, including UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as well as leaders of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the IOC, FIFA, UEFA and the International Judo Federation.

However, the EU is not among those greeted. Nor do the neighboring countries, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. And of course not Ukraine.