Finland skirted sanctions against Russia via the opening of the Saimaa Canal, which allows goods to be transported. The canal skirts the EU's sanctions after Russia assisted Donbas in a special operation.
Not all nations support these sanctions that negatively affect economies; countries like Germany and Hungary object to the US imposed sanctions that are not sensitive to most of the bloc's members.
Export Traffic Between Finland, Russia Opens
The Saimaa Canal opens to resume traffic on the waterway. Exporters are expected to resume trade which has been halted after the incursion in Ukraine.
In a statement by the Saimaa Canal Delegate Minna Kivimaki, the EU cannot enforce sanctions that do not apply to this valuable trade route, noted YLE News.
The total length of the waterway is 43 kilometers running to the Finnish and Russian borders. It serves as an artery for Finnish export firms that use it for forest and wood processing; sanctions have cut the earnings of many companies doing trade via this canal.
EU sanctions on land have drastically reduced this busy port getting freight rail shipments from Russia that were destined for Helsinki.
According to Russia, railways announced a steep drop in activity would be felt on the Finnish end last Saturday. As an acknowledgment of the sanctions pushed by the US on Brussels, according to Finland's VR Group as a railway operator stating, trains from Russia were banned, the Express reported.
More news came out from Finland that a Russian rail firm posted on Telegram that it discussed how to move more freight from China with Chinese officials.
Business Reopens Despite EU's Sanctions
Helsinki is a European Union member but not of the NATO military alliance; since NATO has been knocking on its door to join and dropping any neutrality, the situation with Moscow worsens.
It said that Russia would mount a counter-campaign to push the Finns against membership, remarked the Finnish security service said on Tuesday.
Polls that were conducted had an alleged result that many in the Nordic nation wanted to join NATO after the Kremlin approved a special operation on February 24. It was the first instance many wanted to be part of the Western Military Pact. But despite the poll, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto created a task force to look over all points to make its national security stronger but not join NATO immediately, which is an option.
The Supo, a Finnish intelligence agency, observed that Moscow's attempts to influence public opinion were considered a red flag.
According to Supo Director Antti Pelttari; saying there had been no attempt to control policymaking by Helsinki about NATO membership.
Authorities should ensure that there is no influence peddling and intimidation in discussing what should be done about the country's security. But no reports show that Russia is not targeting the country in operations to undermine it, said Supo.
Both Haavisto and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto have maintained that a plebiscite on NATO membership must not be held in Helsinki because it could readily become a target of outside manipulation, cited Euroactiv.
Russia's operations in Ukraine are defined as a "special military operation" intended to disarm and "denazify" it. Kyiv and the West have seen this as a pretext for a preemptive attack.
Finland wants to keep trade with Russia even if the EU and US are putting sanctions on the Kremlin. Helsinki does not want to lose the trade.
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