Finland bans entry to soldiers in uniforms without insignias
In Finland new legislation has come into force concerning soldiers in uniform without insignias. According to the amendments, such people are banned from entering and staying in the country, the Yle news website reports.
According to the law, the group of soldiers without insignias refers to soldiers who act directly in the interests of a foreign state, on its behalf, or with the consent of this state. These soldiers are organized, equipped or armed.
The law envisages an absolute ban on entry and stay in the country for such groups, and violation of the ban will be punished in accordance with the criminal code of Finland.
The Ministry of Defense stated that the goal of the amendments is to ensure the territorial inviolability of Finland, and also to update the legislation so that it corresponds better to the changing situation in the world, and makes it possible to react to new threats.
As the article points out, such soldiers are called “little green men”, making reference to the Russian troops, which do not have insignias when engaged in the fighting in Eastern Ukraine, as well as during the annexation of the Crimea.
In 2016 the Russian authorities erected a monument to the “little green men” for the two year anniversary of the annexation of the Crimea.