Relationship dossier
Finland
Russia
Relationship assessment
Finland–Russia relations are sharply strained by Russia’s war in Ukraine, Finland’s NATO membership and eastern-border security concerns.
Finland toward Russia
-65Finland has supported sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine and joined NATO in 2023, ending its longstanding military non-alignment. Finland closed its eastern border in response to migration pressure it attributed to Russian actions.
Russia toward Finland
-75Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, prompting a major Finnish security-policy shift, and Russian officials opposed Finland’s NATO membership. Finland attributed the surge of migrants at its eastern border to Russian actions; Russia’s role in that pressure remains contested.
Overall relationship
-70The relationship’s postwar framework of engagement and economic exchange has been overtaken by security confrontation. Russia’s war against Ukraine, Finland’s NATO accession and sanctions policy, and disputes over migration at the eastern border define the current bilateral structure.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Finland–Russia relations have shifted from extensive postwar engagement and economic ties to pronounced security confrontation. Finland joined NATO in 2023 and has supported sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. Finland also closed its eastern border amid a surge in arrivals that it attributed to Russian actions. Russian officials have opposed Finland’s NATO membership, while the war and related security measures have sharply strained bilateral relations.
Areas of tension
- Finland’s support for sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine
- Finland’s NATO membership and Russia’s opposition to it
- Migration pressure at Finland’s eastern border and Finland’s attribution of it to Russian actions
Key developments
Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering a fundamental change in Finland’s security policy and a sharp deterioration in relations.
Finland became a member of NATO, ending its longstanding military non-alignment.
Finland closed its eastern border crossings amid a surge in migrant arrivals that it attributed to Russian actions.
Major uncertainties
- The longer-term scope for restoring bilateral diplomatic and economic engagement is unclear.
- The extent and durability of Russian involvement in the migration pressure at Finland’s eastern border remain contested.