Russia closes Finnish consulate, expels diplomats in retaliatory move
In diplomatic countermeasures, Russia has announced that it is shuttering Finland’s consulate in Saint Petersburg and expelling nine of its diplomats, declaring them persona non grata.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday the move was a tit-for-tat response after Finland earlier this month expelled nine diplomats working at the Russian embassy in Helsinki
The ministry denounced Helsinki's “confrontational anti-Russian policy.”
“Nine employees of the Finnish Embassy in the Russian Federation and the Finnish Consulate General in Saint Petersburg were declared persona non grata,” the ministry statement said.
“As part of the response to the confrontational actions of the Finnish authorities, the Russian side decided to withdraw from October 1 its consent to the activities of the Consulate General of Finland in Saint Petersburg,” the statement added.
Last month, NATO’s newest member Finland, which shares a long border with Russia, said it was expelling nine diplomats working at the Russian embassy in Helsinki, accusing them of being engaged in “intelligence activities."
The decision was made following a meeting between Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and the government’s foreign and security ministerial committee, where the ongoing conflict on Ukraine was also discussed.
Diplomatic turmoil is escalating between Moscow and Helsinki following Finland’s membership in the NATO military alliance.
Finland officially joined NATO in April despite repeated warnings from Russia.
MG
