Finland, Norway block visas for Russian athletes

Detailed summary

Finland, Norway block visas for Russian athletes

Finland's government on Thursday announced it was restricting visas for Russian athletes, insisting that they had "no business" in the country as long as the Ukraine war goes on.

Hours later, Norway announced that it would prevent professional Russian and Belarusian sportspeople from competing on its territory.

Finland is preparing to host the Figure Skating World Championships in the city of Tampere in March 2027, and the International Skating Union said in a statement it was "studying" the implications of the decision.

The Finnish government issued a resolution that tightened restrictions for Russians applying for short-term work visas, including for professional sports.

According to the new restrictions, "Russian citizens will only be allowed to work under a Schengen visa in tasks that are essential to Finland's national interests," said a foreign ministry statement.

Schengen visas allow travel within 29 European countries signed up to the system.

Russian athletes, including those competing under a neutral flag, will be blocked from acquiring visas to the Nordic country.

"As long as Russia's war of aggression continues, Russian athletes have no business in Finland," Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said in a statement.

"Their entry into the country would be a threat to Finland's international relations."

Opening of the article, excerpted from Hindustan Times. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.