Finland begins construction of border fence with Russia.

Finland has started building a barbed-wire fence along its border with Russia to curb illegal migration. The fence is primarily meant to prevent illegal immigration from Russia and give reaction time to authorities. The move was seen as a show of muscle by Moscow. The issue was settled when Finnish President Sauli Niinistö held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The flow of migrants stopped shortly thereafter. The border fence project is estimated to cost a total of 380 million euros ($422 million) and is scheduled to be completed by 2026.