Russia expels nine Finnish diplomats in tit-for-tat move

Russia responded to Helsinki's confrontational policy and expulsion of Russian diplomats from Finland by declaring nine Finnish diplomats persona non grata.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said this in a statement in connection with the summons of Finnish Ambassador Antti Helantera, according to TASS.

"The ambassador was informed that in connection with the expulsion of nine representatives of Russian foreign missions from Finland in June 2023, nine employees of the Finnish Embassy in the Russian Federation and the Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg were declared persona non grata in this country," the ministry said.

From October 1, the Russian Federation withdraws its consent to the activities of the Consulate General of Finland in St. Petersburg, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

The Ambassador of Finland was told that the parameters of this country's accession to NATO pose a threat to Russia's security. It is also stated that Helsinki's line on pumping Kyiv with Western weapons will not go unanswered by Moscow.