(MENAFN) On Wednesday, a member of the State Duma suggested that Russia should consider renaming the Gulf of Finland due to tensions with a neighboring state.
Left-wing MP Oleg Nilov of the party A Just Russia-For Truth attacked the "provocations coming from formerly neutral Finland," charging that neighboring country of inciting "hatred against Russians."
Nilov proposed renaming the waterway situated in the easternmost part of the Baltic Sea, suggesting alternatives such as the Neva River or the Russian port city of Kronstadt.
Highlighting Finland's perceived unfriendly actions, Nilov referenced a statement made by right-wing politician Jussi Halla-aho, who assumed the role of the speaker of the Finnish parliament in June. In January 2023, Halla-aho acknowledged using an online service that permitted donors to inscribe messages on rockets launched by Ukrainians targeting Russian troops. “Killing Russian soldiers is a good thing, and Ukrainians should be helped to kill them,” the lawmaker said in a post on social media, as reported by a Finnish news outlet.
Russia and Finland enjoyed relatively positive relations during the Cold War. However, these ties saw a notable decline after Helsinki aligned with the United States and its allies in imposing sanctions on Moscow in response to its military operation in Ukraine.
Furthermore, the Nordic state actively contributed to Ukraine's defense efforts by supplying weapons, which included German-made mine-clearing Leopard tanks.
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