21 november 2023 — 12:00
The Finnish authorities are ready to completely close the border with Russia, a local source Iltalehti reports, citing its sources.
The remaining 4 checkpoints in the east of the country may be closed at midnight on November 22.
Recall that on November 18, checkpoints were closed - "Vaalimaa" (from the Russian side it is a multi-sided automobile checkpoint "Torfyanovka"), "Nuiyamaa" ("Lingonberry"), "Imatra" ("Svetogorsk") and Niirala ("Vyartsilya"). According to the authorities, it will be impossible to cross the border on them until at least February 18, 2024. This decision was made by the Finnish government due to the growing number of migrants who are heading to the country from the Middle East and Africa.
Even then, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated that they were ready to take more drastic measures if the flow of migrants changed the route and used other checkpoints.
It is expected that the final decision on the closure of the border will be made at the councils of the Cabinet of Ministers of the country.
In Russia, such a move by Finland is called destructive. According to Dmitry Peskov's press secretary, there were no previous reasons for any confrontation. "Russia has never threatened Finland in recent history," the Kremlin spokesman said.
