Pasi Rajala, a Finnish State Secretary, has said Finland wants the EU to limit tourist visas for Russians, warning that not all Russian tourists entering the bloc are innocent, according to remarks made at the Atlantic Future Forum in Oslo.
Speaking on a panel on hybrid and grey zone warfare on board HMS Prince of Wales, Rajala said the EU needs to limit the number of Russians who have access to it, and that Finland’s government has put forward a proposal to restrict tourist visas. He said: “We have hundreds of 1000s of Russian tourists coming to the European Union, and I can promise you, not all of them are innocent tourists. So we need to stop that.” He described visa limits as another legal measure Europe can apply in response to Russian hostile activity.
Rajala said grey zone threats span all of NATO and Europe, and that Russia uses many proxies, while Iran is also active and governments must be mindful of how their own citizens can be influenced. He said: “Another point is that we really must brace for a very prolonged conflict.” He said that even if peace comes in Ukraine, “we must be sure that we don’t drop the ball and we don’t pretend that the conflict will end with that”. He said attribution is a key element but will not do the whole trick, and that Europe must protect its critical infrastructure better and build mental and democratic resilience, adding: “We’re heading to a very difficult election cycle in Europe, including my country”.
Finland closed its land border with Russia in late 2023 after an influx of asylum seekers it said Moscow had orchestrated, and Finnish forces have boarded Russia-linked ships suspected of damaging undersea cables. Rajala also told the panel that the Helsinki court had jailed the captain and a crew member of the Fitburg over cable damage, saying it sends a message that such acts will not go unpunished.
