Finland drastically cuts tourist visas for Russians

Finland’s foreign minister Pekka Haavisto said he was particularly worried about a kind of Russian ‘tourist route’ through Helsinki airport (Petr David Josek/AP)

Finland has slashed the number of visas issued to Russian citizens to a tenth of the regular amount in a move seen as a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

Finland, which shares the longest border with Russia of all European Union member countries, announced the decision in August amid growing pressure from politicians and ordinary citizens to restrict the movement of Russian tourists through the Nordic country as Moscow continues its war in Ukraine.