Moscow Expresses ‘Regret’ over Finland’s Border Closure as New NATO Member

The Kremlin has voiced its “regret” over a recent decision by new NATO member Finland to close several crossings along its border with Russia.

The move by Helsinki “causes deep regret because we [Russia] had longstanding and very good relations with Finland based on mutual respect,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Nov. 20.

“These relations have been replaced by an exclusively Russophobic position, which the leaders of this country [Finland] have begun to espouse,” he added.

Finland, which shares a roughly 830-mile border with Russia, officially joined the Western NATO alliance in April, ending a decades-long policy of neutrality.

Running north to south, Finland’s border with Russia also represents the northeastern frontier of the 27-member European Union, which Finland initially joined in 1995.

On Nov. 18, Helsinki unilaterally closed four of the crossing points—Imatra, Niirala, Nuijamaa, and Vaalimaa—along the southernmost section of the Finland-Russia border.

Four other crossings remain open for now, along with a fifth that is reserved exclusively for cross-border rail traffic.

According to Finnish officials, the four crossings will all remain closed until Feb. 18 of next year.

Helsinki says it took the step to halt an influx of Middle Eastern and African migrants who it claims are being pushed toward the border at the instigation of Moscow.

Last week, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said that Russian border authorities had begun allowing would-be migrants to cross into Finland without the necessary documentation.

“It’s clear that these people are … being escorted or transported to the border by [Russian] border guards,” Mr. Orpo told reporters on Nov. 14.

“The message from us in the government is clear: we want to secure the safety of our eastern border,” he added.

In a Nov. 16 social-media post, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described Moscow’s alleged “instrumentalization” of migrant inflows—at Finland’s expense—as “shameful.”

“I fully support the measures taken by Finland,” she said.

Ms. Von der Leyen went on to thank the Finnish authorities for “protecting our European borders.”

On Nov. 17, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (also known as Frontex) announced plans to dispatch personnel to Finland’s border with Russia with the stated aim of protecting the EU’s northeastern frontier.

“We are preparing to provide immediate assistance through the additional deployment of our standing corps officers,” Reuters quoted a Frontex spokesperson as saying.

New Iron Curtain?

Moscow, for its part, rejects Western claims that Russian border authorities are actively facilitating the inflow of third-country migrants to Finland.

“We do not accept such accusations,” Mr. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said on Nov. 20.

“The crossings are used by those who have a legal right to cross the border,” he asserted. “Our border guards are following all the relevant protocols.”

Maria Zakharova, a spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, has said Finland’s decision to close the border would create “new dividing lines” across Europe.

On Nov. 20, reports emerged in the Finnish press suggesting that Helsinki was planning to seal the remaining five border crossings later this week.

Responding to the reports, Alexander Grushko, Russia’s deputy foreign minister, warned that such a move would only serve to harm Finland’s national interests.

“Judging by how decisions are made in West European capitals, nothing can be ruled out,” Mr. Grushko was quoted as saying by Russia’s TASS news agency.

“But in this case, such a decision [to shut the remaining crossings] would obviously run counter to Finland’s national interests,” he said.

Following Russia’s invasion of eastern Ukraine early last year, both Sweden and Finland formally applied to join NATO.

After alliance member Turkey greenlit the move, Finland officially became NATO’s 31st member in April.

Before acceding to the Western alliance, applicants must garner the approval of all existing members.

Sweden is now next in line to join NATO, pending approval from Turkey’s parliament.

Last month, Finland concluded a bilateral defense pact with the United States that will allow the latter to station troops and military hardware in the Scandinavian country.

Reuters contributed to this report.