On the Russian border the Finns of Imatra rely on

On the Russian border, the Finns of Imatra rely on NATO

By Anne-Francoise Hivert

Posted today at 2:00 p.m

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Report Concerned about tensions with their neighbor, a majority of border area residents support Helsinki’s entry into the Atlantic Alliance.

At the Imatra border post, 270 km west of Helsinki and 200 km east of Saint Petersburg, time seems to have stood still. The few motorists who find themselves there are diverted to Lappeenranta, the only open border crossing in the region, located about thirty kilometers to the south. Only trucks not registered in Russia or Belarus are allowed to enter Finland. Rail traffic is at a standstill: on the rails, near the road, hundreds of timber transport wagons form a motionless line several kilometers long, a consequence of the embargo on Russian timber imposed by the European Union since April 8.

Anna Helminen, 46, is the President of the Municipal Council of Imatra.  As a member of the National Coalition Party, she supports Finland's entry into NATO.  In Imatra, May 06, 2022. Anna Helminen, 46, is the President of the Municipal Council of Imatra. As a member of the National Coalition Party, she supports Finland’s entry into NATO. In Imatra, May 6, 2022. ADRIEN VAUTIER/ LE PICTORIUM FOR THE WORLD

Anna Helminen, the usually cheerful municipal council president of Imatra, a small town of 26,000 people three kilometers from the border post, does not hide her pessimism in the face of the iron curtain that has fallen between the two countries, February 24: “I see no light on end of the tunnel,” she says. In this regard, the 46-year-old elected member of the National Coalition Party (Conservatives), long undecided on the issue of Finland joining NATO, has joined the pro-camp. “I think it’s a good solution to ensure security in the region and to reassure investors that our neighborhood with Russia could be worrying. »

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Anna Helminen is not the only one who has changed her mind: according to a poll published on May 9, 76% of Finns are now in favor of membership, up from less than 30% before the war in Ukraine. A reversal of opinion that was unthinkable just a few months ago, which should prompt the country of 5.5 million people to announce its candidacy for NATO membership by the end of the week.

Helicopter break-in

Moscow has already announced that the integration of Finland, which would double the border between Russia and the transatlantic alliance from 1,215 to 2,555 km, will not go unanswered. On May 4, while British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was taking part in the Arrow military exercise in south-west Finland, a Russian military helicopter entered Finnish airspace 4.5 km north of Imatra. The next day, Russian media published photos of tanks taken during the exercise, claiming that Finland was mobilizing troops on the border with Russia.

Jarmo Ikävalko, War Veterans Museum Curator, in Imatra (Finland), May 6, 2022. Jarmo Ikävalko, War Veterans Museum Curator, in Imatra (Finland), May 6, 2022. ADRIEN VAUTIER / LE PICTORIUM FOR “THE WORLD”

Emil Stigman, Imatra’s security chief, says there is no need to worry if these destabilization attempts are followed closely by the authorities in Helsinki. According to the 32-year-old former border guard, “the events have not affected the daily lives of residents.” Jarmo Ikävalko, a resident who will soon be 70, confirms somewhat resignedly: “No matter what happens. We live on the border and have nowhere to go. »

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