President Duda: Finland is facing a hybrid attack launched by Russia

"On the border with Russia, Finland is experiencing a similar phenomenon to what we have been dealing with here since 2021. In other words, to sum it up, it's a hybrid attack on the Finnish border, which is carried out by bringing groups of migrants to that border. It's a very unpleasant and challenging situation," Andrzej Duda told a press conference alongside Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto.

"We manage to defend this border, and we consistently do it as part of our European commitments," Duda added.

The Polish president stressed that Poland fully understood the situation Finland was facing. "We understand the decisions made by Finnish authorities, and I assured the President (Niinisto) of our support and readiness to assist."

President Niinisto said it had become impossible to return asylum seekers who did not meet the criteria for protection, and that this had to be taken into account when policies are set.

"You referred to the problems we are facing in the border. You have seen it now two years. We made it first time 2015, then it ended and now began again," the Finnish leader said.

"And the main core of this problem is when we talk about human rights. They are important and we want to respect them. But we have to take notice also to national security and now that it seems that deportation of those migrants who don't meet the criteria of asylum has become impossible," he explained.

The Finnish president also called for a European Union-wide solution to stop uncontrollable entry into the passport-free area.

Niinisto then thanked Duda and Poland for "solid support" to Finland's NATO membership. "I know you made some extra work to get some of our partners to understand also the need of of accepting Finland."

Finland, on Saturday (November 18), closed four crossing points on its border with Russia as Helsinki seeks to halt a flow of asylum seekers it says was instigated by Moscow, leaving only four stations open.

The Kremlin has denied sending migrants and said on Monday Finland's decision to shut border crossings reflected Helsinki's adoption of an anti-Russian stance.

Poland built a razor-wire fence at its border with Belarus following a migrant crisis in the autumn of 2021 when asylum seekers, mostly from the Middle East, attempted to cross into the country. Poland and the EU accused Minsk of facilitating the attempts, something Belarusian authorities refuted.