Finnish Embassy in Moscow Receives Letter Containing Powder – RIA

(Reuters) – Finland’s embassy in Moscow has obtained a letter containing an unknown powder and has reported the matter to the Russian authorities, Russian information companies reported on Friday.

Relations between Moscow and Helsinki have deteriorated sharply since Finland formally joined NATO on April 4, changing into the thirty first member of the U.S.-led army alliance. Finland shares an extended land border with Russia.

The embassy obtained three letters on Thursday, considered one of which contained a powder, the RIA information company reported.

“In keeping with the safety guidelines of the Finnish international ministry, the letters in query had been handed to official consultant organs of Russia which can examine the matter,” RIA quoted the embassy as saying.

The embassy stated it had additionally knowledgeable Russia’s international ministry of the incident.

Finland’s resolution to hitch NATO ended seven a long time of strategic non-alignment which started after the nation repelled an tried Soviet invasion throughout World Battle Two. Within the postwar interval it opted to take care of pleasant ties with Moscow.

However Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 prompted Finns to hunt safety below NATO’s collective defence pact, which states that an assault on one member is an assault on all.

(Reporting by Reuters; Modifying by Gareth Jones)

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