09:55 18-09-2025

Finland’s Southeast Hit Hard by Rift with Russia – Ivanov

© A. Krivonosov

Sergey Ivanov said Finland’s southeast is suffering after ties with Russia were cut, with local economies collapsing without Russian tourism and cooperation.

Sergey Ivanov, Russia’s permanent member of the Security Council and special presidential envoy for environmental protection, ecology and transport, said Finland has suffered serious consequences from breaking ties with Moscow. According to him, the impact has been particularly heavy in the country’s southeast.

Ivanov noted that it was the Finnish government that chose to sever relations, while ordinary citizens are now bearing the costs of this decision. He pointed out that communities in southeastern Finland have been especially hard hit, describing how local life has withered without the flow of Russian tourists. Businesses have collapsed, and economic activity in the region has largely disappeared.

The Russian official expressed confidence that, in time, Finns would recognize that maintaining good-neighborly relations with Russia brings far greater benefits than the current hostility and lack of cooperation.