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The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen traveled to kyiv on Tuesday May 9 to recall that Europe stood alongside Ukraine. The country, since the beginning of the war, has barricaded its borders with Russia. This is particularly the case of Finland.
A wide gap in the Finnish forest. Excavators to erect a barrier three meters high. An iron curtain with neighboring Russia. Finland has 1,300 kilometers of common border with Russia. Barbed wire fences will not be built along this entire line, but intermittently, on the most sensitive crossing points. In all, 260 km of wall. Everything changed when Russia invaded Ukraine. A long border region covered with forests. Lands that are now part of NATO. Finland has indeed just joined this politico-military organisation. The historical neutrality of this Scandinavian country is over, and the inhabitants support this decision.
However, strong ties exist between Russians and Finns
Employed in the timber sector, these two Finns live 3 km from the border. In their eyes, Russia is now a threat. NATO will protect them. “I’ve been waiting for this for years”, says farmer Mikko Vainikka. A border region full of trenches dating back to World War II, when the Russians attacked Finland. However, strong ties exist between Russians and Finns. Before the invasion of Ukraine, this teacher often traveled to Saint Petersburg to visit her many Russian friends. “I think it’s a good thing to be in NATO, but I’m disappointed that we could lose the friendship between the Russians and the Finns”, says Riita Turkia, professor at the University of Lappeenanta. 15,000 people crossed this border post every day before the war. But since Finland almost closed its border to Russians, this place is deserted.
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