Russia will close the Finnish consulate in St. Petersburg and expel nine of its diplomats, Moscow said Thursday, calling the move a reaction to Helsinki’s “confrontational anti-Russian policy.”
NATO’s newest member, Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, earlier this month expelled nine diplomats working at the Russian embassy in Helsinki for working for Russian intelligence.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia announced that nine Finnish diplomats working at the Finnish Embassy in Russia and the Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg have been declared undesirable persons, and it has been decided to terminate the activity of the said Consulate General from October 1.
Finland’s new prime minister, Peteri Orpo, told reporters in Helsinki today that Finland “is forced to start preparing for similar events.” “We have to respond to that, that’s for sure,” he added.
Relations between the neighbors have deteriorated since Russia’s repeated invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Finland to apply for NATO membership. In April, it officially became a member of NATO.
2023-07-06 18:45:33
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