By Rajika Chauhan
Staff Writer
Finland has declared that it will close the last of its remaining border crossings to Russia for at least two weeks, a pronounced step in the progressively deteriorating relationship between the two neighboring nations.
The closure is not a complete shutdown, as the rail-freight line remains open, and migrants are still free to arrive in Finland via air or boat crossings. However, as there is currently no air or passenger boat traffic between the two nations, these options are not realistically viable.
The Kremlin was deeply unhappy with the decision, with Russia’s Foreign Ministry warning Finland that it had made a “dangerous, historic, mistake.”
AP News reports that Finland had closed seven of the eight border crossings it shares with Russia earlier in November, leaving just the Raja-Jooseppi crossing open. The nation has been overcome by an influx of asylum seekers crossing the border into Finland through Russia in the past several months, the majority of them from nations such as Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq. According to Reuters, in November, more than 900 migrants were reported as having crossed the border, as compared to the average of less than one per day in previous months.
Finland claims the migrants are being sent over by Russia in retaliation for the nation’s decision to join NATO, which it did earlier this year in response to the war on Ukraine, according to the New York Times. Officials claim that the nation has credible intelligence suggestive of Russia’s influence in permitting or encouraging migrants to cross Finnish borders. According to AP News, the majority are young men in their 20s and 30s, although some come in groups with families.
“Finland has a profound reason to suspect that the entry [of migrants] is organized by a foreign state. This deals with Russia’s influencing operations and we won’t accept it,” said Prime Minister Petteri Orpo to Finland’s reporters, according to AP News.
The NYT reports that Finland has historically had a contentious relationship with Russia as it was ruled by the latter for more than a century until it gained independence in 1917. After World War II and intermittent periods of conflict, Finland decided to remain neutral. However, both Sweden and Finland changed course earlier this year in light of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which stoked fears for the potential of a similar assault in other locations.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg commented on the situation with an accusation that Russia is “using migration as a tool,” naming the Finland situation as an “attempt to have pressure on neighbors and allies.”
As suggested by the NYT, the crisis in Ukraine has emboldened Russia's neighbors and political adversaries to take steps towards increased defense, including strengthened associations with the West. The conflict in Finland highlights the difficult balance such nations must strike in attempting to align themselves with Western alliances without triggering Russian interference.
