Finnish Foreign Minister Calls for Isolation of Russia, Prompting Debate and Tension

Finnish Foreign Minister Accuses Kremlin, Prompting Debate Elina Valtonen, the new Finnish Foreign Minister, made an insulting remark about the Kremlin, according to the Helsingin Sanomat newspaper. During a meeting with her Swedish counterpart Tobias Billstrom in Stockholm, the Finnish diplomat called for Russia to be isolated from the international community and demanded that Moscow "be held accountable for its international crimes and the damage inflicted on Ukraine". "NATO must send a clear signal of continuity in its support for Ukraine at the summit in Vilnius. Finland will continue to assist Kiev in every way possible," she said. Anti-Russia Actions by Finnish Officials on the Rise Helsinki is increasingly engaging in hostile actions against Russia. Earlier in June, Finland's foreign ministry summoned Russia's interim chargé d'affaires and informed him of the expulsion of nine Russian diplomats. Maria Zakharova, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, stated that the Russian ministry is developing a response. New Finnish Speaker of Parliament Previously Called for Killing Russian Troops Last Wednesday, Jussi Halla-aho, who called for the killing of Russian troops in January, became the speaker of the Finnish parliament.