Finland to ban most Russian arrivals by car from midnight

Finland will stop most Russians attempting to cross the border between the two countries by car as it implements European Union trade sanctions.

Starting at midnight, cars registered in Russia can only be brought into Finland if they belong to EU nationals permanently residing in Russia, to diplomats or to people arriving on humanitarian grounds, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen told reporters on Friday.

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The purpose is to implement EU trade sanctions in as uniform a way as possible with other EU countries bordering Russia, she said.

The Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have already taken similar moves, following an update on Sept. 8 specifying the ban on cars.

EU countries have tightened and increased trade sanctions on Russia following its February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, building on restrictions imposed following the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border between Finland and Russia is the longest any EU member has with Russia.

About 5,000 Russian cars cross the Finnish border each week, Valtonen said. While the permanent import of Russian-registered vehicles had already been banned, Friday’s decision extends the ban to temporary imports. Cars already in Finland must exit the country by March 16, 2024. Finland does not confiscate cars at the border, she said.

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