Finland sets condition for restoring border crossings with Russia
President of Finland Alexander Stubb (photo: Getty Images)
Finland will reopen its border with Russia only after receiving guarantees from the Russian highest political leadership that Moscow will not use migrants as a weapon, Finnish President Alexander Stubb says.
President Stubb answered questions from the audience during a live broadcast on Yle Radio Suomi on May 24.
According to him, the border can only be reopened if Finland is confident that Russia is not using immigrants or refugees as a weapon against the country. He stressed that Helsinki must receive such assurances from Russia's top political leadership.
During the program, a listener asked why Estonia keeps its border open at three checkpoints without receiving migrants, while Finland's border remains closed.
Stubb answered that during a state visit to Lithuania, he visited the Lithuania-Belarus border, where migrant-related problems persist.
Previously, Finland closed all checkpoints along its border with Russia at the end of 2023 due to a surge in illegal migration.
Helsinki accused Moscow of deliberately directing migrants toward border crossings to pressure the Finnish authorities, although the Kremlin denied the claims. Finland's government later extended the border closure indefinitely.
