• Finland is Russia’s sole EU neighbour to allow Russian residents visas on vacation.
• Since the EU stopped letting Russian planes fly through its airspace, Finland has become an important transit country for Russians who want to fly to other places in Europe.
• Many Finns are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs.

At the Nuijamaa border crossing in the southeast of the country, buses full of Russian tourists pour in. Some of them are going to enjoy the calm Finnish summer, while others are going to travel to other parts of Europe.

Finland may be seeking NATO membership in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, but it remains Russia’s sole EU neighbour to allow Russian residents visas on vacation.

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While waiting to cross, Boris Surovtcev, 37, from Saint Petersburg told AFP, “I’ve been coming here for 12 years.” This is a beautiful country with lakes and greenery.

Since the EU stopped letting Russian planes fly through its airspace, Finland has become an important transit country for Russians who want to fly to other places in Europe.

However, many Finns are dissatisfied with the current state of affairs, and the notion of Russians enjoying a Finnish summer while Ukrainians endure a horrific invasion has been met with outrage.

“It is not right that Russians can freely travel to Finland. It takes away the basis for the sanctions,” local Kirsi Iljin remarked.

“I think there should be some restrictions.”

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