The key facts
- Finland is preparing new restrictions on entry for Russians, with a ban on professional athletes among the aims
- The country's Foreign Ministry is urgently drafting an amendment to the government decree on entry
- The restrictions are being discussed on the eve of NHL matches in Helsinki, the Finlandia Trophy, and a Cross-Country Skiing World Cup stage in Ruka
Finland is preparing new restrictions on entry for Russians
Finland is working on additional restrictions on entry for citizens of Russia, and one of the aims of the new measures may be to ban Russian professional athletes from visiting the country. This was reported by the Finnish broadcasting company Yle, citing MTV; the preparation of the measures is also reported by Gazeta.Ru citing Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's interview with the MTV Uutiset channel.
What was discussed on 6 November and what is already being done
The issue was discussed on 6 November by President of Finland Alexander Stubb and the government committee on foreign and security policy. According to Orpo, the Foreign Ministry is already drafting relevant proposals, and decisions are intended to be taken within a tight timeframe. 'Since 2022 we have been restricting entry for Russians, in particular by not issuing tourist visas. The aim of this work includes the possibility of denying entry to professional athletes,' the head of government explained in the interview with MTV Uutiset. He added that he still seeks to achieve a decision at the pan-European level in the EU as well.
The Foreign Ministry's position and the question of a full ban
Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen confirmed the preparation of new measures: on the social network X she announced that the ministry is urgently drafting a proposal to amend the government decree regulating the entry of Russians into Finnish territory. Orpo, for his part, stated that a complete halt to the entry of Russian citizens into Finland would, in his view, be a consistent decision, but the authorities have not yet announced the introduction of such a ban.
Restrictions against the backdrop of upcoming tournaments
The discussion of the measures is taking place on the eve of major sporting events in Finland involving Russians. As early as next week, two NHL matches featuring Russian hockey players are to be held in Helsinki; the Finlandia Trophy figure skating competition is scheduled for 20–21 November; and on 27–29 November a Cross-Country Skiing World Cup stage will take place in Ruka. The context of Russians' admission to the skiing events had been clarified earlier as well: on 4 November the president of the Ski Association of Finland Sirpa Korkatti statedthat the Foreign Ministry plans to refuse visas to Russian skiers and to keep them out of the Ruka stage. This followed the decision of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS) of 2 September 2026 to admit Russian athletes in a neutral status. Thus, national measures are being prepared in contradiction to the admission already adopted by the international federation — and it is precisely this clash that defines the practical uncertainty for athletes and organizers of the upcoming events. Earlier, as Life.ru notes, Valtonen had put forward an initiative to close entry to the entire Schengen area for Russian athletes in 2027promising to push for restrictions both at the national and the pan-European level.
