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The end; Finland closes last crossing point with Russia

Finland closed the last border crossing with Russia.

Source: B92 Thursday, November 30, 2023 | 10:25

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Just to recall, Finland accused Russia of deliberately sending migrants to its borders, which is why the authorities in Helsinki decided to close all border crossings with Russia, except for one "Raja Jooseppi".

Helsinki believes that the intention of sending migrants to the border with Finland is Russia's revenge for that country's entry into NATO, which brought the Alliance to the very border with Russia.

Official Moscow rejects such claims by Finland, and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg deepend the crisis, reminding that Finland, as a NATO member, is not alone and that its allies will come to its aid, which Poland immediately did.

Finland continued to suspect that Russia is still sending migrants to the only open border crossing, and it documented the claims with videos and photographs, which show columns of migrants going to the crossing on bicycles.

A 'cemetery' of bicycles left behind by potential migrants at the closed Salla border crossing was also filmed, i.e. the hundreds of abandoned bicycles that migrants throw away when they reach the "Raja Jooseppi" border crossing point.

As a final response, Helsinki closed the one and only crossing with Russia last night, at midnight, and now all border crossings between the two countries are officially closed. However, the railway-freight line will remain open, and one of the border guards interviewed by the BBC indicates that migrants will be able to enter Finland by plane.

Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen, speaking about the closure of the last open crossing with Russia, said that the decision was a matter of national security.

Moscow responded

Official Moscow immediately spoke out after Finland's decision, warning that there would be major consequences.

However, one of the border guards at the last closed crossing told the Guardian that "this may just be the beginning", thinking that further closures of the country towards neighboring Russia.