MOSCOW, Feb 14: Finland is experiencing a crisis due to a break in relations with Russia, the country has record unemployment, zero GDP growth, a rapidly growing state debt, and a chronic budget deficit, Russian Ambassador to Helsinki Pavel Kuznetsov said in an interview with RIA Novosti.
“Finland is experiencing perhaps one of the most difficult periods in its modern history. The current socioeconomic situation in the country can be compared to the crisis it experienced in the 1990s,” the ambassador said.
Kuznetsov said Finland then found itself in a deep recession due to the collapse of “Eastern trade” after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
“Now, it seems Helsinki has decided to repeat the same scenario, but on its own initiative. After the start of the special military operation, the Finnish authorities severed all contacts and ties with Russia, destroying the large-scale trade and economic cooperation that had been built over decades,” the ambassador said.
He said Finland’s economic growth has stalled in recent years, and in 2025, GDP growth will remain at zero or slightly higher.
“The state of public finances is deplorable. Public debt continues to grow rapidly and is already approaching 90% of GDP. Not long ago, it did not exceed 60%. The country’s state budget suffers from a chronic deficit. In 2024, it amounted to 4.4% of GDP, and in 2025, the figure will likely be even higher,” Kuznetsov said.
The head of the diplomatic mission clarified that unemployment in Finland has reached the highest level in the EU at 10.6%, and Finnish companies have filed a record number of bankruptcy applications since the crisis of the 1990s – more than 3,900. (UNI)
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