Finland's President Stubb: Border with Russia won't reopen until migrant weaponisation stops

Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated that the border between Finland and Russia will only reopen when Finland can be certain that Russia is no longer using migrants or refugees as a weapon. The closure remains in effect as part of Finland's response to hybrid warfare tactics.

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has outlined the conditions under which the border between Finland and Russia could be reopened, stating that the key prerequisite is a guarantee that Russia will no longer weaponise migrants or refugees against Finland.

Stubb's remarks come amid ongoing concerns across Nordic and Baltic states about Russia's use of hybrid warfare tactics, including the deliberate funnelling of migrants across borders as a destabilisation tool. Finland closed its border crossings with Russia in late 2023 after a sharp surge in migrants arriving at the frontier, a move widely interpreted as a deliberate act orchestrated by Moscow.

The Finnish president's position reflects a broader consensus among Northern European nations that migration pressure from Russia represents not a humanitarian challenge but a calculated geopolitical instrument. Estonia and the other Baltic states have raised similar alarms, with many calling for coordinated EU-level responses to such tactics.

For the border to reopen, Stubb indicated that concrete and verifiable assurances would be needed — not merely diplomatic statements — that Russia has ceased using irregular migration as a pressure tool against Finland. Until then, the closure is set to remain in force indefinitely.