The European Parliament has added a discussion on the situation on the Finnish-Russian border to its agenda for Tuesday evening. The debate will take place with representatives from the EU Commission and the Council of Member States, but it does not include voting on resolutions such as Finland’s.

The purpose of the discussion is to direct MEPs’ attention to the situation on Finland’s eastern border and raise awareness of potential dangers such as people being pushed across the border or lured with false promises. Eero Heinäluoman (SD) and Pirkko Ruohonen-Lerner presented different titles for their speeches, but both emphasized the importance of understanding Finland’s conditions in order to receive support from other EU countries.

Petri Sarvamaa (ALKP) considers the evening’s discussion “extremely important” for the entire EU, stating that Russia is trying to undermine Finland’s ability to operate in its own and Europe’s longest border area, which is unacceptable. Mauri Pekkarinen (C) says that raising the issue in Brussels is important from a perspective of border security, while Elsi Katainen (ALDE) acknowledges that there will be discussions about whether NATO, Frontex, or other organizations should be involved in supporting Finland.

Alviina Alametsä (Greens) highlights humanitarian aid as an important concern, but has not raised any specific issues regarding Finland. Ville Niinistö (Greens) also mentions humanitarian aid as a concern but notes that he has not received official threat assessments from the government. Silvia Modig (Left Alliance) emphasizes that Finland must comply with human rights obligations in its own activities while also avoiding provocation when dealing with Russia.