In Brief

• Finland's Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen proposed restricting Russian athletes from entering Finland in 2027 if Russia continues its war against Ukraine.
• Helsinki also suggested extending this potential ban across the entire Schengen area to EU partners.
• The proposal follows discussions in October with EU colleagues and is currently an expressed intention, not a finalized law.
• Sweden is also reviewing options to deny visas to Russian and Belarusian athletes for international competitions.

Finnish Minister's Proposal

Elina Valtonen, the Finnish Foreign Minister, announced on X that Russian athletes could face an entry ban to Finland starting in 2027, if Russia does not end its offensive war against Ukraine (У Фінляндії кажуть, що не впускатимуть російських спортсменів через повернення РФ на ЧС-2027 – Українська правда). She said that in the coming days she intends to work toward introducing the necessary measures and suggested that EU partners restrict the entry of Russian athletes across the entire Schengen area (Финляндия хочет закрыть российским спортсменам въезд во весь Шенген в 2027 году - Новости Mail – mail.ru) (Финляндия пригрозила спортсменам из России запретом въезда в Шенгенскую зону – news.ru). Valtonen first presented this idea to her EU colleagues in October, according to reports in Russian media linked to the state.

Context: Russia's Return to International Sport

The statement follows reports about a possible return of Russia to the 2027 Ice Hockey World Championship. The International Ice Hockey Federation confirmed that the Russian national team may take the place of Ukraine at the 2027 World Championship. Russian officials stated that the Court of Arbitration for Sport ordered the federation to allow Russian teams to resume competition, annulling five board resolutions that had blocked their participation. In addition, Russian media reported that Finland agreed to the participation of Russian cross-country skiers on its territory, although the national skiing federation opposes this return, citing adherence to international regulations.

Events in Finland and Open Questions

Russian reports describe in detail upcoming events in Finland, including the Women's Figure Skating World Championships in Tampere from 17 to 21 March 2027 and the Women's EuroBasket, which Finland is co-hosting, with games scheduled in Espoo.

This proposal reflects the minister's intentions and has not yet been adopted. Ukrainian reports indicate that the European Commission is developing a proposal to restrict access of Russian athletes to the Schengen area, but neither the timeline nor the legal text of such a measure has been confirmed. Separately, Sweden is also examining the possibility of denying visas to Russian and Belarusian athletes wishing to take part in international sporting events.