Finland's Interior Minister Krista Mikkonen said Finland should consider building a defensive fortification, as he said the wall would help the country prevent unauthorized border crossings from Russia.
Despite this statement, Mikkonen noted that she does not propose to build a fence along the entire border, but only in areas where the risks are highest.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto also said that building a border wall would help “protect territory". However, Haavisto noted that before making a decision on construction, it is necessary to assess whether such investments on the eastern border will be beneficial for the country.
Shortly after the ministers, Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin also made an official statement on this issue. In her opinion, there are grounds for building a fence along most of the country's border with Russia, and she hopes that a decision on this issue will be made as soon as possible.
Finland's land border with Russia is 1,300 kilometers long. However, the Finnish border guard has suggested that a partial fencing of about 260 kilometers will be required.
Finland has already closed its borders to the Russians. Entry restrictions for all Russian citizens went into effect on September 30, and the authorities said they would remain in place until further notice.
As soon as the country announced its entry restrictions for Russians, Foreign Minister Haavisto said, that, by making such a decision, Finland seeks to completely prevent Russian tourism to the country. In addition, he stressed that the country intends to no longer allow Russians to use Finland as a transit territory for travel to other European countries.