Finland to keep Russian border shut to protect national security
Finland decided to keep its border with Russia closed for another four weeks as it still sees risks that an assisted flow of migrants could resume at the checkpoints, Bloomberg reports.
All eight border stations on Finland’s demarcation with Russia will remain closed until Feb. 11, Interior Minister Mari Rantanen said at a news conference on Thursday. The new decision follows a monthlong shutdown which was set to expire on Sunday.
“National security is a critical question for Finland, it surpasses everything,” she said. “The threat of a Russian hybrid operation still exists.”
The government is looking into “alternative ways” to put a stop to Russian hybrid influencing, she said.
Finland first closed some the border crossings in mid-November to stem the flow of Russian-assisted asylum seekers to the demarcation — what Finland calls a hybrid operation. The Nordic nation broadened the measures gradually until sealing the entire border Nov. 30. It then briefly tested Russia’s response by reopening some border stations, only to shut them again as migrant flows resumed.
Read More: Finland to Close Russian Border Again in Sudden Reversal
Finland views the phenomenon as a threat to its national security masterminded by Moscow, saying asylum seekers are being helped by Russian authorities to checkpoints without all the required travel documents. Russia’s aim appears to be to pressure the newest member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Finland guards 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of border with Russia, the alliance’s longest stretch facing its main adversary.
