Finland Set to Shut Down Final Operational Border Crossing with Russia

Finland is planning to close its final operating checkpoint on the Russian border, effectively sealing off the country's eastern border with Russia for a two-week period starting Thursday. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo stated that Russia's actions are leading people to the Finnish border in dangerous winter conditions, and Finland is committed to putting a stop to this.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs announced on Tuesday that the last checkpoint will be closed at midnight on November 30, barring entry from the eastern border until December 13. This decision aligns with Finland's increased efforts to limit crossings from Russia, which have intensified since the invasion of Ukraine last year and Finland's recent accession to NATO.

In a press release, Finland's Interior Minister Mari Rantanen stated the imperative need to fully close the eastern border with Russia, citing the decision as crucial for protecting Finland's national security from Russian hybrid operations.

The Finnish Border Guard also shared on social media that the country's aim is to put an end to illegal entry from Russia.

Avdiivka Battle.

CNN

Acknowledging the possibility of death is essential, yet it remains a daunting prospect. This is epitomized in the harrowing account of a bloody battle in the trenches of eastern Ukraine. Finland, with its 830-mile border with Russia, served as one of the limited entry points for Russians as a result of the closure of air space and borders to Russian planes by Western nations following the invasion of Ukraine.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko criticized Finland's decision to close all border checkpoints with Russia, calling it "irrational" and stating that it will harm Finnish citizens. "They closed the border, how can we react? Finnish citizens will suffer," Grushko said on the sidelines of the Primakov Readings forum in Moscow.

He noted that while some decisions may appear to be rational and logical, there are also times when decisions are simply irrational. He added that approximately 700 migrants attempted to cross the Russian-Finnish border during this period. The Finnish government announced on November 16 that it would temporarily close four crossing points along its border with Russia from this week until February 2024, in an effort to prevent illegal border crossings.

Finland's interior ministry stated in a press release on Tuesday that despite restrictions, entry into Finland at the eastern border has remained ongoing. According to the ministry, nearly 1,000 third-country nationals have arrived in Finland without a visa through the border crossing points at the eastern border since the beginning of August. Most of these individuals have since applied for asylum in Finland.

During a news conference in Brussels, Stoltenberg pointed out that Russia has employed various tactics, including energy usage and cyber attacks, to undermine democracies. He also noted that the use of migration as a tool is another instance of Russia's attempts to pressure neighboring countries. Stoltenberg also mentioned that NATO has not been asked by Finland for border support and expressed confidence in Finland's ability to handle the issue independently.

The deployment of 50 guards along the Finnish border by the European Union's border agency, Frontex, was welcomed. Helsinki had closed its border at the end of September 2022, during a period of increased traffic over the frontier as Russians sought to escape President Vladimir Putin's "partial mobilization" of hundreds of thousands of citizens to fight in the war. On one day alone, more than 8,500 Russians crossed the border.

Earlier this year, the Finnish Border Guard initiated the pilot phase of building a fence along key parts of the eastern border. This is a project with a goal of increased security. Reporting by CNN's Lauren Kent and Sharon Braithwaite.