The Russian foreign ministry issued a warning to the government of Finland over its announced plans to speed the confiscation of Russian-owned real estate within their country.
According to a Reuters report, many Russians who own apartments and holiday homes in Finland are experiencing problems in paying expenses and taxes because of European Union’s banking and payment sanctions against Russia. Leena Meri, the justice minister for Finland, said the unpaid maintenance bills and expenses by the Russians created problems in Finnish condominiums where the homeowners share liability for joint expenses.
However, Finnish law cannot issue confiscation threats against the Russian owners if they cannot deliver them. The new plan announced by the Finnish government proposed plans to ease the rules on notification deliveries.
“We cannot remain in this kind of everlasting stalemate in these cases just because we cannot get a certain notification delivered through official channels,” Meri said in an interview, adding that electronic notification will be sufficient for notice delivery under new rules.
But the Russian government blamed Finland for “disregarding the rule of law” with its plans and made a vague threat against Finland if the rules change.
“We will not leave without a proper response such actions of the so-called civilized Finnish state,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in a statement.
I stick my foot out as referee in a soccer match and trip a player. Then I show him a penalty card for being on the ground.
This is the EU playbook to punish Russian citizens because the Russian military is crushing their hopes to get Ukraine into NATO and place missiles pointing at Moscow on the Ukraine border with Russia.
SAD. This is the state of EU political leadership.
Condo fees not paid are the burden of the other owners. This isn’t a small trip and penalty score.