innish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen has blocked the sale of six properties to Russian citizens, citing national security concerns, the Finnish Ministry of Defense reported on 12 December 2024.
The ministry issued two negative permit decisions on 10 December 2024 concerning real estate acquisitions by buyers from outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA). The rejected applications reportedly involved one property in Pargas and five in Kokemäki, with both buyers being Russian citizens.
“The Ministry of Defense carefully examines the background of each real estate buyer from outside the EU and EEA. Protecting our national security is particularly important in the current security situation,” Minister Häkkänen said.
According to the Ministry, the negative decisions were based on the Act on Transfers of Real Estate Requiring Special Permission, with authorities determining the transactions could threaten national security and hinder Finland’s defense organization.
Finland’s Defense Ministry noted that the decisions have not yet gained legal force.
In October 2023, the Finnish government announced plans to simplify the confiscation process for Russian-owned apartments, with reports indicating that a significant portion of such properties were vacant and their owners unreachable.
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