Finland Moves to Wall off Its Combative Neighbor
by Mie Olsen
November , 2022
Introduction:
Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/finland ... neighbor/(Courthouse News) LAPPEENRANTA, Finland (Courthouse News) — Since the moment Russia invaded Ukraine in February, its Nordic neighbor Finland began the process of political, cultural and financial detachment from Moscow.
That process culminated a few weeks ago when the Finnish government agreed to put 6 million euros ($5.95 million) aside for a pilot project to construct a small fence at the Russian border. If the project succeeds, the plan is to build several extensive walls along the 832-mile eastern border over the next four years.
In September, Finland followed other countries like Latvia and Estonia and banned all regular tourist visas for Russian applicants. The decision has put a stop not only to Russian travelers entering the European Union, but also to a long tradition of free movement between the two countries.
Juhana Aunesluoma, professor of political history at Helsinki University, said the planned fence is an expected development given the current circumstances but is also a significant break from the tradition of an open border.
“Although Russia and Finland are quite different in economy, political structure, and social conditions, they have historically been very close," he said in an interview. "There has been frequent exchange of people, goods, and money over the border. It used to connect rather than divide. But that has changed now."
Finland