Finland will close 4 border crossings with Russia, accusing Moscow of organizing a flow of migrants

By JARI TANNER
Associated Press

HELSINKI (AP) — Finland’s government says it will close four crossing points on its long border with Russia to stop the flow of migrants that it accuses Moscow of ushering to the border in recent months. Finnish officials say they will be closed at midnight Friday on the land border that serves as the European Union’s external border. Finnish President Sauli Niinistö says Russia’s actions are linked to his country’s NATO membership in April after decades of military non-alignment, something that infuriated Moscow. He says Finland must be prepared for “certain malice” from Russia due to its decision to join the Western military alliance as a result of Moscow’s attack on Ukraine in February 2022.