Finland has accused Russia of orchestrating an “influence” operation within the European Union, prompting the decision to close all its land borders with Russia, currently presided over by Vladimir Putin. An “extraordinary cabinet meeting” in Helsinki led to the announcement that all Finland-Russia border crossings, except for Raja-Jooseppi in the far north, would be closed. Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated that the decision was made in response to “new information” received this week.
According to Orpo, the disclosed information has strengthened Helsinki’s belief that Moscow intentionally sent migrants across the border. Despite the serious accusation, Finland did not provide evidence to support its claims. At a press conference, Orpo emphasized that the recent influx of migrants needed to be halted, describing it as not just a numerical issue but a broader concern about Russia’s influence activities that Finland cannot accept.
Finland has accused Russia of attempting to destabilize its national security after nearly a thousand migrants tried to use its eastern border crossings in the past month, a significant increase from previous months. Following its NATO membership in April, Finland, historically neutral, has aligned itself more closely with the U.S., especially in response to Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine.
The accusation of “hybrid warfare” has been leveled against Moscow by Helsinki, referring to tactics aimed at stoking tensions without a declared conflict. Earlier this month, Finland closed its seven other checkpoints along the 1,340km border with Russia.
The decision to join NATO has sparked outrage in Moscow and beyond, with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, expressing deep regret over Finland’s NATO membership. Peskov noted that Finland had abandoned longstanding, mutually respectful relations by joining the transatlantic military alliance.
Post Your Comments