Moscow has issued a warning to Finland, stating that it will not tolerate any anti-Russian actions from Helsinki. Sergey Belyaev, the director of the second European department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused Finland of pursuing a confrontational anti-Russian policy by supporting Ukraine and supplying it with weapons, as well as intensifying sanctions against Russia since the start of the special operation in Ukraine. Belyaev emphasized that Finland’s decision to join NATO has led to a breakdown in bilateral political dialogue and interagency contacts, causing significant damage to trade and economic cooperation. Furthermore, he highlighted Finland’s imposition of travel restrictions on Russians and its plans to seize property belonging to Russians, which Moscow views as a violation of the principle of private property rights. Belyaev warned that any anti-Russian actions will not go unanswered and the nature of the response will depend on specific decisions made in Helsinki. In response to Finland’s tightened entry restrictions for property owners from Russia, Russian authorities are considering reciprocal measures. The situation on the border between Finland and Russia has also worsened, leading Finland to close border crossing points in the southeast of the country. This move has raised concerns and the Russian side will be formulating its own response. Moscow’s warning to Finland serves as a reminder that actions against Russia will not be taken lightly and could have consequences.
