Finland will extend its border closure with Russia for another month amid growing concerns that the Kremlin is trying to undermine the security of Northern Europe by sending thousands of migrants across the border, Euronews reports.
Earlier, Finland’s government accused Russia of gathering migrants at its border in retaliation for its decision to strengthen defense cooperation with the United States and join NATO, a claim dismissed by the Kremlin.
The country closed its borders in 2022 after 1,300 migrants crossed without proper documents or visas, an unusually high number. Most of them were from the Middle East and Africa, particularly Syria, Somalia and Yemen.
US President Joe Biden said in December that Russia could be planning a new war “if Putin seizes Ukraine.” Meanwhile, President Putin called the US president’s comments about further attacks by Russia “complete nonsense”, adding that his country has no interest in fighting the Western military alliance. But he warned of “problems” after neighboring Finland joined the alliance.
Guardian: Putin warns of ‘problems’ on Finnish-Russian border after Helsinki joins NATO
The migrants are currently being held in reception centers awaiting a decision from authorities.
Although many people in Finland also believe that Russia’s actions are retaliation against North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members, Finnish security experts say Russia’s main motivation for these migration operations remains states that it is unknown.
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