A Finnish MP Resigned After Straining Finland-Russia Relations

Chairman of the Finnish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee, Kimmo Kiljunen (Social Democrativ Party), met with representatives of a Finnish-Russian association in October in the Parliament's premises. During the meeting, he reportedly advocated for the opening of Finland’s eastern border despite the risk posed by Russia's hybrid operations.

This stance may be connected to the fact that Kiljunen’s wife has a Russian background. However, when meeting with the association representatives, he emphasized his position as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, highlighting the access it grants him to information typically unavailable to regular MPs.

Additionally, he expressed his intention to arrange a hearing within the Foreign Affairs Committee to discuss the situation of Finnish-Russians and border-related issues. He also claimed that the closure of the eastern border was no longer a temporary solution and that keeping it closed constituted a human rights violation against Finnish-Russians.

The Finnish-Russian organization told Kiljunen that Finnish media portrays Finnish-Russians and dual citizens negatively. Kiljunen agreed, accusing Finnish tabloid newspapers of promoting Russian hybrid influence.

Kiljunen also criticized plans to ban real estate transactions by Russian nationals in Finland, expressing concern over a growing atmosphere of suspicion towards Russians in the country. 

Russian media outlets have also reported on the case. For instance, the headlines of publications such as Lenta and Gazeta on Thursday evening stated that Kiljunen had been “forced to apologize.” Meanwhile, the Russian propaganda channel Russia Today reported that Kiljunen had faced criticism from his party colleagues. In other words, the Kiljunen case further strained relations between Russians and Finns.

As a result of these developments, MP Kiljunen has today stepped down as chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. The Speaker of Parliament, Jussi Halla-aho (Finns Party), commented that Kiljunen was echoing Kremlin narratives, suggesting that the closure of the eastern border and restrictions on Russian real estate purchases were driven by racist motives. Halla-aho likened this to serving a "perfect pass to the blade of the Kremlin's hockey stick."

If one seeks a positive takeaway from this situation—beyond the fact that it came to light—it is the clear condemnation of Kiljunen’s actions from within his own party, the Social Democrats. This demonstrates that, with few exceptions like Kiljunen, Finns remain united against the persistent threat posed by Putin's Russia.

Previous thoughts on the same topic:
It Is Time for Vladimir Putin to Acknowledge the Facts and Do Dmitry Medvedev a Favor
Russians are, Intellectually, Spiritually, and Morally, a Deficient People
Putin's useful idiots in Finland