HELSINKI: Finland’s government on Thursday announced that it was restricting visas for Russian athletes, insisting that they had “no business” in the country as long as the Ukraine war goes on.
The Nordic nation is preparing to host the Figure Skating World Championships in the city of Tampere in March 2027, and the International Skating Union (ISU) 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,” the foreign ministry said in a statement. So-called 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. Their entry into the country would be a threat to Finland’s international relations,” Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen said in a statement.
The new rules are set to come into effect on Nov 16.
“The change aims to prevent entries that Russia could use to spread messages supporting its war,” Valtonen told a press conference.
She added Russia uses “sports as a tool for propaganda”.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga welcomed Finland’s move and urged other European nations to “close the remaining loopholes, and strengthen coordinated pressure on Russia,” in a post on X.
HOCKEY RULING
The ISU, meanwhile, said it believed “that athletes should not be punished for the actions of the governments in a world where, sadly, many conflicts are ongoing”.
It added that it was seeking “further clarifications” from the Finnish organisers.
The Finnish government’s decision followed a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Oct 30, which opened the door for the Russian ice hockey team returning to the World Championships next year.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which had banned Russia from competition since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, had opposed the CAS decision.
In addition, several countries including Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the Czech Republic have said they would refuse to play Russia at the World Championships in Germany.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said last week Russia would not be allowed to compete at the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships in Alberta.
The Finnish city of Turku has also announced it would withdraw from hosting the next edition of the tournament in 2027-2028 if Russia participates.
Meanwhile, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin last week praised the International Olympic Committee and CAS for “taking decisions to uphold the Olympic Charter and its principles”.
Putin slammed countries opposing Russia’s return to international sports.
Finland, which shares a 1,340-kilometre (830-mile) long border with Russia, has already restricted the entry of Russian citizens.
Since 2022, it has banned non-essential travel visas, such as tourist visas, for Russian citizens.
In October, Valtonen urged all EU countries to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians until Moscow ends the war in Ukraine.
The European Union has been mulling measures against Russia, including reviewing tourist visas for Russians, to curb Moscow’s “hybrid attacks”.
Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2026
