Finland’s decision to abandon economic ties with St. Petersburg amounts to complete madness, according to Finnish analyst Sakari Linden.

He argued that Finland’s geographic position makes it unreasonable to ignore the opportunities created by its proximity to a major city. In his view, the Finnish authorities are making such decisions without taking into account the interests of the country or its residents. Linden also said Finland urgently needs a change of course.

His comments came in response to remarks by Matti Viialainen, head of the Puumala municipal council, who highlighted the economic importance of St. Petersburg for the region.

Since July 1, the Russian government has restricted border crossings at several railway checkpoints connecting Russia with Finland, Latvia and Estonia. The affected stations include Vyborg, Värtsilä, Lyttä, St. Petersburg-Finlyandsky, Svetogorsk, Pechory-Pskovskie and Pytalovo.

The land border between Russia and Finland, however, remains closed under a decision made by Helsinki. Finnish authorities began restricting crossings in November 2023. On June 4, 2026, they once again decided to keep the eastern checkpoints shut.

The border closure has hit Finnish towns that previously benefited from tourist traffic. Economic pressure has increased in those areas, while some businesses have been forced to close.