Embassy of NATO Country Vandalized in Moscow
A diplomatic note has been sent to Russia following an “unpleasant” vandalism incident at Finland's embassy, according to Ambassador Marja Liivala. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
Finland has issued a diplomatic note to Russia following an incident at its embassy in Moscow, where the premises were vandalized with graffiti and eggs. Ambassador Marja Liivala shared this information with news agency STT on Sunday.
This incident occurs amid worsening relations between the two neighboring countries. The ambassador reported that a wall surrounding the embassy was defaced on Friday with graffiti in Swedish that stated “Aland is ours,” likely referring to the Aland Islands, which are an autonomous, Swedish-speaking province of Finland. In addition to the graffiti, eggs were thrown at the wall.
“The police intervened quickly and detained the perpetrators. There seemed to be five men involved,” Liivala informed Finnish outlet Yle News. She noted that she did not have information regarding the nationalities of those detained.
Liivala characterized the occurrence as “unpleasant” and indicated that efforts were underway to remove the graffiti and repaint the wall.
While she did not disclose the specifics of the diplomatic note, she also refrained from speculating on the motivations behind the incident, according to Yle News. However, Russian outlet RBK reported that the note reminded Moscow of its responsibility to protect the embassy and ensure the safety of its personnel.
This note follows a communication from Moscow to Finland concerning Helsinki’s decision to seize Russian assets in the Nordic country. Around 40 properties, including a seaside plot on the Aland Islands, were purportedly seized in October due to a lawsuit from Ukrainian state-run oil and gas company Naftogaz. Russia has promised to challenge these confiscations legally.
Naftogaz is attempting to enforce a $5 billion arbitration award from The Hague court, which was issued in its favor in April 2023. The lawsuit focuses on a property that was nationalized by the Crimean parliament in March 2014, soon after the region became part of Russia following a referendum.
Historically, Finland maintained a neutral stance for many years. However, relations between Helsinki and Moscow significantly declined after the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, prompting Finland to abandon its neutrality and join NATO the following year.
Earlier in the year, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen urged other NATO members to allow Ukraine to deploy donated weapons against targets deep within Russian territory.
Moscow has maintained a consulate in Mariehamn, the Aland region's capital, since 1940. Both the islands and Finland were once part of the Russian Empire from 1809 until Finland's independence in 1917, following the Russian revolution.
Additionally, the graffiti that appeared last weekend included flowers and the letters “SD,” potentially referencing the Swedish right-wing party The Sweden Democrats. However, the party's press manager claimed that the incident had no connection to them, according to Yle News.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
This incident occurs amid worsening relations between the two neighboring countries. The ambassador reported that a wall surrounding the embassy was defaced on Friday with graffiti in Swedish that stated “Aland is ours,” likely referring to the Aland Islands, which are an autonomous, Swedish-speaking province of Finland. In addition to the graffiti, eggs were thrown at the wall.
“The police intervened quickly and detained the perpetrators. There seemed to be five men involved,” Liivala informed Finnish outlet Yle News. She noted that she did not have information regarding the nationalities of those detained.
Liivala characterized the occurrence as “unpleasant” and indicated that efforts were underway to remove the graffiti and repaint the wall.
While she did not disclose the specifics of the diplomatic note, she also refrained from speculating on the motivations behind the incident, according to Yle News. However, Russian outlet RBK reported that the note reminded Moscow of its responsibility to protect the embassy and ensure the safety of its personnel.
This note follows a communication from Moscow to Finland concerning Helsinki’s decision to seize Russian assets in the Nordic country. Around 40 properties, including a seaside plot on the Aland Islands, were purportedly seized in October due to a lawsuit from Ukrainian state-run oil and gas company Naftogaz. Russia has promised to challenge these confiscations legally.
Naftogaz is attempting to enforce a $5 billion arbitration award from The Hague court, which was issued in its favor in April 2023. The lawsuit focuses on a property that was nationalized by the Crimean parliament in March 2014, soon after the region became part of Russia following a referendum.
Historically, Finland maintained a neutral stance for many years. However, relations between Helsinki and Moscow significantly declined after the escalation of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, prompting Finland to abandon its neutrality and join NATO the following year.
Earlier in the year, Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen urged other NATO members to allow Ukraine to deploy donated weapons against targets deep within Russian territory.
Moscow has maintained a consulate in Mariehamn, the Aland region's capital, since 1940. Both the islands and Finland were once part of the Russian Empire from 1809 until Finland's independence in 1917, following the Russian revolution.
Additionally, the graffiti that appeared last weekend included flowers and the letters “SD,” potentially referencing the Swedish right-wing party The Sweden Democrats. However, the party's press manager claimed that the incident had no connection to them, according to Yle News.
Camille Lefevre for TROIB News
