In response to Russia’s recent decision to close the Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg, President Sauli Niinistö of Finland has expressed his views on the matter. He stated that Russia’s action will introduce a new dimension to the country’s relations with Russia.
Niinistö acknowledged that many other countries have faced similar experiences in St. Petersburg, so the closure itself was not entirely unexpected. However, the context in which it occurred came as a surprise.
Last week, the Russian government announced the expulsion of nine Finnish diplomats and confirmed the closure of the consulate general. Furthermore, the Finnish Ambassador in Moscow, Antti Helanterä, was summoned and reprimanded by Russia for what they deemed as anti-Russian policies. These actions by Russia were in response to Finland’s decision to expel Russian diplomats and close its consulate general office in Helsinki.
Niinistö also revealed that the status of the Russian Consulate General in the city of Mariehamn, Aland, is currently under legal assessment by the Finnish Ministry of Justice.
Markku Kangaspuro, the director of the Aleksanteri Institute at the University of Helsinki, remarked that Russia’s actions were escalating the deterioration of relations between the two countries. Kangaspuro referred to a statement attributed to Sergey Lavrov, the Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, where he indicated that Finland and Russia would struggle to achieve a reconciliation even if they attempted to find ways to incentivize their relations.
Kangaspuro further commented that diplomatic relations between Finland and Russia are unlikely to return to their former state of goodwill. He acknowledged that Finland holds no special status in the eyes of Russia, as the actions taken by Russia towards Finland suggest that it treats Finland similarly to other countries it considers unfriendly. According to him, Russia is effectively dissolving its previous special relationship with Finland.
The response of President Niinistö to Russia’s new threats is yet to be determined.
