Finland announced on Thursday it would close its border to Russian tourists at midnight as thousands of men fled to escape drawn into the war with Ukraine.
Helsinki said the tourist ban would lead to a significant drop in cross-border traffic after about 17,000 Russians entered Finland over the weekend.
“Entry of Russian citizens” [for] Tourism purposes in Finland jeopardize Finland’s international relations,” Foreign Minister Pekka Havisto said at a news conference, after talks with Ukraine and neighbors about the decision.
Havisto also cited security concerns related to Russia’s war, an “illegal” Kremlin-backed referendum. to justify the attachment The large scale of Ukrainian territory, and recent leaks in Nord Stream pipelines as a leading factor for the decision.
Russian citizens can still enter Finland, which shares a land border of 830 miles with Russia, for family visits, study or work purposes. In addition, Russian political dissidents may seek admission for humanitarian purposes.
Just hours before the ban went into effect, there was a steady stream of cars coming from across the Walima border, though not nearly as much over the weekend.
“We have signs that the Russian authorities have changed their policy,” said Tuomas Laosma, the head of border control, adding on Wednesday that the number of young Russian men arriving had declined.
“According to information provided by border crossers, there are military officers at the crossing point,” Laosma told Reuters, adding it was not clear whether the officers were doing voluntary enlistment or mandatory call-ups.
“The passenger profile has clearly changed. There are fewer youth than before,” he said.
A Russian man who had just passed by, software architect Andrei Antonov, said he saw an improvised building on the other side with military colors and signs that said “call-up center or contract service, something like that.” “
Travel agent Maria Muratova confirmed that there was a recruitment office on the Russian side. “But I haven’t seen anyone bring it yet. They are launching it on the way back, it will be on the way back,” she said, referring to the Russians returning to Russia from the Finnish side.
The decision means that the Finnish government, wary of being a transit nation in Western Europe’s passport-free Schengen area, joins other EU member states sharing land borders with Russia that have already received Russian tourists. has been banned.
The EU sanctions were part of a series of sanctions and other steps taken by Western countries against Russia as Moscow invaded Ukraine on 24 February.
The Baltic states and Poland argued that Russian tourists posed a threat to national security. Estonia expressed disappointment that Finland had not joined them – and Ukraine has said the Russians should stay home and try to stop the war.
The European Union has banned all flights from Russia, provided only rail and road transport links, and agreed to limit the issuance of free-travel Schengen zone visas.
Norway, an EU outsider but a member of the Schengen zone, still keeps its Arctic border open with Russia, where the number has recently risen to a few hundred a day, Norwegian officials said.
Last week Russia’s announcement of its aim to draft at least 300,000 reservists to shore up its faltering Ukraine war triggered crowds and arrests of protesters for the border.
post with wires