On Monday, Russia Foreign Ministry formally lodged a complaint against Finland for the closure of four border crossings. Finland justified the decision, citing the need to control the influx of asylum seekers. Finnish authorities have asserted that Russia is deliberately directing migrants towards the border, an accusation denied by the Kremlin.
As a member of the European Union, Finland joined the NATO military alliance in April, ending decades of non-alignment prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The border closure affects the 1,340-kilometer (830-mile) boundary that Finland shares with Russia.
In an official statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized Finland’s decision to close four border crossings, describing it as a hastily made decision without prior consultation with the Russian government. The ministry argued that this move infringed upon the rights and interests of tens of thousands of people residing on both sides of the Russian-Finnish border. Russia Foreign Ministry
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed condemnation of the decision and refuted Finland’s claim that Russia intentionally directed asylum seekers towards the western border. Peskov expressed deep regret, stating, “This causes nothing but deep regret because we had long-standing, very good relations with Finland, pragmatic, based on mutual respect.” He further lamented the shift in relations, attributing it to what he termed as an exclusively Russophobic position adopted by the leaders of the country.