Finland plans to completely close its border with Russia

According to the report of Fars International News Agency, an Italian newspaper, quoting informed sources, reported that the Finnish authorities plan to close the entire border of this country with Russia on Wednesday night.

The government of Finnish Prime Minister Petri Orpo may decide to close the remaining checkpoints on the border with Russia, according to the Russian “Tass” news agency, citing this newspaper. And this action is expected to be done at 12:00 AM on Wednesday (local time).

In the early morning of November 18 (Saturday, November 27), Finland closed four checkpoints on its eastern border. The Prime Minister of Finland said that the country’s authorities are reacting to the recent increase in the number of third-country nationals arriving at Finland’s eastern border. According to “Mari Rantanen”, the Minister of the Interior of Finland, this decision will remain in force until February 18, 2024.

Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman of the Russian Foreign Ministry, in response to Finland’s action, said that this country’s decision to close checkpoints on the border with Russia creates new dividing lines in Europe. And government institutions in Moscow will respond to these measures.

“Dmitry Peskov”, the spokesman of the Kremlin, in his statements today, about the closure of Finnish checkpoints on the border with Russia. He said that “Finland’s Russophobic policy is regrettable” and about the situation of Russia’s border with Finland, he said “Russian border guards follow all instructions; We do not accept far-fetched accusations.”

Finland and Sweden following the start of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, in May 2022 they officially requested to join the NATO alliance. Finland became the 31st member of this Western military alliance on April 4, 2023, but Sweden’s request to join this alliance has not yet been accepted by Hungary and Turkey.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov recently said in response to the anti-Russian statements and actions of Helsinki that “Finland is becoming one of the leaders of the Western campaign against Russia”.

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