Kimmo Kiljunen, chairman of Finland’s Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, is stepping down after his comments advocating for the reopening of Finland’s land border with Russia stirred controversy.
The Social Democratic representative faced backlash after remarks he made during a meeting with Russian citizens in Finland became public. Kiljunen expressed support for resuming passenger traffic at the border and criticized Finnish tabloids for what he described as “very serious hybrid influence” on public opinion.
Kiljunen had also previously expressed similar views in an interview with Yle’s Russian-language service, albeit in more measured terms. He mentioned that the closed border had made it difficult for relatives to visit and for Russians opposed to their government’s policies to leave the country. Following the fallout from his comments at the meeting, he faced criticism over both the border issue and his media influence remarks.
Kiljunen issued an apology, acknowledging that his statements were inappropriate for someone in his position. He subsequently announced his decision to resign from the role he had held since 2023, which was approved by his Social Democratic party. The party leader, Tytti Tuppurainen, expressed support for Kiljunen’s choice and indicated that a successor would be appointed next week.
