Russia's foreign ministry expressed its disapproval of a Finnish government proposal to expedite the confiscation of real estate owned by Russians in Finland. The ministry issued a warning to Finland, hinting at potential retaliatory measures, Reuters reports.
Numerous Russian individuals who own apartments and vacation homes in Finland have encountered difficulties in meeting their financial obligations, including expenses and taxes. These challenges have arisen due to the European Union's imposition of banking and payment sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine last year. Finnish Justice Minister Leena Meri pointed out that unpaid maintenance bills and expenses have led to problems in Finnish condominiums where property owners collectively share liability for common expenses.
"We cannot remain in this kind of everlasting stalemate in these cases just because we cannot get a certain notification delivered through official channels," Meri told Finland's public broadcaster YLE.
As of now, it is not legally permissible to oust Russian property owners for unpaid bills unless an official notification threatening confiscation can be delivered to them. In response, the Finnish government intends to streamline the rules concerning notifications. Leena Meri noted that electronic notifications would suffice once the rules have been revised, although she did not provide further details on Finland's specific plans.
Russia criticized Finland's proposals, asserting that they disregard the principles of the rule of law. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that such actions by the so-called civilized Finnish state would not go without a commensurate response.
"We will not leave without a proper response to such actions of the so-called civilized Finnish state," Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
Additionally, Finland is exploring methods to assume control of Helsinki's largest sports and events arena, which has remained closed since the previous year due to sanctions against its Russian billionaire owners.
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