Russia announced the expelling of nine Finnish diplomats and shutting down Finland’s consulate in St. Petersburg on Thursday, 6 July 2023, according to Associated Press via the Taiwan News.
The Russian’s Ministry of Foreign Affair also added that a permit allowing the Finnish consulate in St. Petersburg to operate will be revoked starting from the first October.
In response to the expeling, the Finnish President Sauli Niinistö tweeted that he considered Moscow’s move on Thursday as “a tough and asymmetric” response to Helsinki’s decision to expel Russian diplomats back in June.
Plus, the Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said on Twitter that Moscow’s move was “out of proportion” and that “Finland will react” to Russia’s decision.
