Polish Troops on Finnish Border Could Increase Tensions: Russia

On Wednesday, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that a build-up of troops along Finland's border with Russia is completely unjustified and could provoke further tensions.

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"Tensions may arise just in the course of the concentration of additional units on our border… the Finns should clearly realize that this will pose a threat to us," he said, pointing out that sending Polish units implies "redundant measures.”

His statements were made in response to a decision announced by Jacek Siewiera, the head of the Polish National Security Bureau, to send a group of military advisers to help Finland protect its border.

Peskov stressed that the current situation does not pose a threat to Finland and recalled that there is an "absolutely unprovoked, unjustified concentration of armed units."

Meanwhile, during a meeting of NATO foreign affairs ministers carried out in Brussels on Wednesday, the Baltic countries warned of the risks that Russia generates with an "instrumentalization" of migrants on the Finnish border.

“Russia represents a long-term existential threat to the Euro-Atlantic community and we are ready to do anything as part of the Alliance to strengthen the defense and deterrence of our region,” Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said upon her arrival to the meeting.

“We have witnessed a hybrid operation carried out by Russia on our border, in which they have instrumentalized citizens of third countries to allow people to pass without valid documents,” she added, emphasizing that Finland and its allies will not accept such an operation.

During the last two weeks, Finland has closed the passage of people on its border with Russia due to the massive arrival of migrants from the Russian side.

On Tuesday, the Finnish government announced Tuesday that it would temporarily close all border crossings with Russia from Nov. 30 to Dec. 13 due to national security concerns.