"Tit-for-Tat: Finland Expels Russian Diplomats, Closes Consulate"
Russia has announced the closure of Finland's consulate in St. Petersburg and the expulsion of nine Finnish diplomats, in response to Finland's expulsion of nine Russian diplomats and its recent NATO membership. The move is seen as an escalation aimed at getting the attention of Helsinki and Washington, with the closure of the consulate suggesting a more significant response. Finland's President has called the measures harsh and unsymmetrical, and Finland is preparing similar measures in response. The Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Finnish Ambassador to protest Finland's confrontational anti-Russian policy. St. Petersburg, with its high volume of trade and contacts with Finland, had been one of Finland's busiest consulates.