After the partial Russian mobilization of 300,000 reservists for the war against Ukraine, neighboring Finland has registered more traffic on the common border. Border traffic in southeastern Finland increased overnight and was busier than usual, border guards in the region said Thursday. This photo continued into the morning.
Finland’s head of international affairs, Matti Pitkäniitty, said a total of 4,824 Russians crossed the border into Finland on Wednesday. Last week on the same day it was 3133. “Yesterday’s number is lower than in a normal weekend,” clarified Pitkäniitty.
Reports of traffic jams were fake news
The border guard had previously denied social media reports that spoke of a 35 kilometer traffic jam in front of the Russian-Finnish border. The accompanying videos were previously made and have now been taken out of context, according to the authority.
‘Finland does not want to become a transit country for Schengen visas’
Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto announced that Finland would find its own solution to the Russian tourist visa issue. “Finland does not want to become a transit country for Schengen visas that other countries have issued,” Haavisto told public broadcaster Yle on Wednesday evening. “There is no moral justification for continuing the Russian holidays as before.” The Finnish government has raised the visa issue several times in the EU. However, the border with Russia should not be closed completely as there are still legitimate reasons to enter Finland.
Until now, Russians were able to continue their vacation in Finland
Finland has a border of 1340 km with Russia. This means that the Scandinavian country has by far the longest border with Russia of the EU countries. According to Yle, Russian tourists have so far been able to enter the Schengen area by bus or car across the Finnish border, despite the war of aggression against Ukraine.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
