Finland is set to close its remaining four border crossings with Russia, effectively shutting down the entire border between the two countries. The decision comes after the Finnish newspaper Iltalehti reported that Russian authorities had been pushing numerous migrants towards the border. In total, Finland has nine border crossings with Russia, and five of them have already been closed.
The Kremlin has expressed “deep regret” over Helsinki’s decision. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia has long-standing and very good relations with Finland, and that this decision is regrettable. He also mentioned that there is currently no dialogue between Moscow and Helsinki and that Russia regrets the “exclusively Russophobic position” that has replaced past reports.
The closure of the border crossings has strained relations between the two countries, with Russia expressing deep regret over the decision and Finland citing concerns over the influx of migrants being pushed towards its borders by Russian authorities.