Finland's government is proposing to ban most Russian citizens from purchasing property in the country to safeguard national security, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen announced on Monday.
Helsinki to join the NATO military alliance after decades of non-alignment.
The proposed real estate purchase ban would exclude dual citizens and Russians with permanent residence in Finland or other EU countries. It will be reviewed by experts before being put to a parliamentary vote.
"The regulations are aimed at preventing possible hostile influences against Finland," Häkkänen said at a press conference.
Finland, which shares a 1,340 km (830 miles) border with Russia, has closed all crossings between the two countries. It has accused Russia of weaponizing migration by encouraging Asian and African migrants to seek asylum in Finland.
On April 4, 2023, Finland became a NATO member, a decision that was prompted by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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