On October 1, the Russian authorities will close the Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg. In addition, nine employees of the Consulate General in St. Petersburg and the Finnish Embassy in Moscow have been declared persona non grata and will be expelled from the country. This is stated in the message of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation.
On July 6, Ambassador of the Republic of Finland Antti Helanter was summoned to the office. Russia declared to him "a resolute protest in connection with the confrontational anti-Russian policy pursued by the authorities of Finland." In particular, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs accuses the Finnish authorities of "discriminating against Russians on the basis of national origin in the issuance of entry visas", as well as obstructing the "normal activity of Russian missions" in Finland.
The Russian Foreign Ministry considered it necessary to clarify that the Finnish diplomats will be expelled in response to the expulsion of nine employees of Russian institutions in Finland.