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Finland bans entry for Russian-registered vehicles

1 min read
Finland bans entry for Russian-registered vehicles
Vehicles queue to cross the border from Russia to Finland at the Nuijamaa border checkpoint in Lappeenranta, Finland, on Sept. 22, 2022. (Photo credit: Lauri Henio/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images)

Finland bans entry to cars under Russian registration only days after the Baltic countries instituted the same measure, the country's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen announced on Sept. 15, the Finnish public broadcaster Yle reported.

The ban will come into force at midnight. Cars with Russian license plates that are already in Finland will have to leave the country within six months, that is by March 16, 2024.

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia imposed the restriction earlier this week in accordance with the EU Commission's recommendations on sanctions against Russia.

According to Yle, Helsinki joined the ban in order to synchronize its policy with the EU's common line.

The public broadcaster reported that once the measure takes effect, only EU citizens permanently residing in Russia, their family members, diplomats, or people coming for humanitarian reasons will be allowed to bring a car with a Russian license plate into Finland.

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Martin Fornusek

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Martin Fornusek is a reporter for the Kyiv Independent, specializing in international and regional politics, history, and disinformation. Based in Lviv, Martin often reports on international politics, with a focus on analyzing developments related to Ukraine and Russia. His career in journalism began in 2021 after graduating from Masaryk University in Brno, Czechia, earning a Master's degree in Conflict and Democracy Studies. Martin has been invited to speak on Times Radio, France 24, Czech Television, and Radio Free Europe. He speaks English, Czech, and Ukrainian.

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