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Possible border closure contradicts Finland's interests — Russian MFA

On November 18, Finland closed four border checkpoints on the eastern border - Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatre and Niirala

MOSCOW, November 20. /TASS/. The possible complete closure of the border with Russia would run counter to Finland's national interests, but nothing can be ruled out, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko has told the media.

While commenting at TASS request on Finnish media speculations that the country's authorities were planning to close the entire border with Russia on November 22, Grushko remarked that nothing could be ruled out.

"Judging by the way decisions are made in the West European capitals, no possibilities can be ruled out, although in this case such a decision would obviously contradict Finland's national interests," Grushko pointed out.

This question, he said, should no longer be addressed to the Russian side.

"Russia is an open country. When we take retaliatory measures, we always correlate them first of all with our national interests," Grushko added, when asked about the possibility of retaliatory measures.

On November 18, Finland closed four border checkpoints on the eastern border - Vaalimaa, Nuijamaa, Imatre and Niirala. In this way, according to Orpo, the authorities were reacting to the influx of nationals from third countries to the eastern border of Finland. As Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen explained, the decision would stay in effect until February 18, 2024.

Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Finland's decision to close part of the checkpoints on the border with Russia created new dividing lines in Europe. Moscow's response to these actions will be worked out in an interdepartmental way.

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