Poking up by means of the snow drifts on the Finnish-Russian border lies an emblem of Moscow’s largest provocation but towards NATO’s latest member: a sprawling heap of damaged bicycles.

The battered bikes are bought for lots of of {dollars} on the Russian aspect to asylum seekers from as distant as Syria and Somalia. They’re then inspired — generally compelled, in response to Finnish guards — to cross the border. Finns say it’s a hybrid warfare marketing campaign in opposition to their nation, utilizing among the world’s most determined folks, simply as it’s staking out a brand new place in a shifting world order.

“A few of the bikes didn’t even have pedals — generally they’d hyperlink arms, to assist one another hold shifting,” stated Ville Kuusisto, a Finnish sergeant common on the crossing close to the Russian city of Vyborg.

As Finns vote on Sunday for a brand new president, who can be chargeable for international coverage and act as commander in chief, Finland has develop into fixated on its 830-mile border, the longest with Russia of any NATO nation. How Finns deal with the challenges there may be essential not just for them, but additionally for his or her new allies on each side of the Atlantic.

The presidential election, now in its second and ultimate spherical, is the primary since Finland formally joined the North Atlantic Treaty Group final yr after a long time of nonalignment, trying to bolster its personal safety after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Russia warned Finland of “countermeasures” for its accession, which the Finns suspect they’re now seeing within the type of infrastructure sabotage and cyberattacks. However it’s the arrival of some 1,300 “human weapons,” as Finnish politicians have described them, prior to now few months that has stirred essentially the most public consideration and anxiousness.

European officers have repeatedly raised alarm over migrants being inspired to cross into their borders by Russia and its allies, with many involved that the intention is to destabilize European governments and stoke discord in a bloc sharply divided over easy methods to deal with immigration.

In December, Finland closed all of its crossings with Russia. Now, it’s getting ready a legislation, that Finnish media has stated might embody provisions to permit Finland to power folks again over the border — a follow referred to as “pushbacks,” that are unlawful beneath European and worldwide legislation. Finnish officers have to this point declined to touch upon such measures.

Each presidential candidates headed to the ultimate spherical on Sunday — Pekka Haavisto, of the left-leaning Greens, and the centrist conservative Alexander Stubb — have staked out a tough line not solely in opposition to Moscow, but additionally the asylum seekers.

“Individuals see by means of this Russian recreation fairly clearly,” Mr. Haavisto stated in an interview. Requested how he felt in regards to the requires potential pushbacks, he stated humanitarian legal guidelines banning pushbacks might should be modified to acknowledge what he described as a brand new type of hybrid warfare.

Mr. Stubb stated power on the border was obligatory as a result of “the one factor Putin and Russia perceive is energy, often uncooked energy,” referring to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.

Whoever wins on Sunday will take the lead in shaping Finland’s new function in NATO. However the migration difficulty is now more likely to take in a lot of their consideration, one thing safety specialists say may very well be an meant distraction.

“This border drawback will not be essentially the most pressing difficulty proper now, but it surely’s now a difficulty that may devour the bandwidth of the longer term president and the Finnish authorities,” stated Matti Pesu, a safety analyst on the Finnish Institute of Worldwide Affairs.

The crossings into Finland are the most recent iteration of the lethal border politics which have performed out since 2021, when Belarus, a veritable satrapy of Moscow, provided entry to 1000’s of migrants, permitting them to cross to Poland. Many ended up trapped between the 2 international locations, overwhelmed by border guards, who compelled them forwards and backwards over the border.

This isn’t the primary time an inflow has reached the nation — there have been surges in 2015 and 2016, when over one million folks made their solution to Europe, principally fleeing warfare in Syria and ending up in Germany. However since then, the border has gone principally quiet.

Finnish officers say that, counter to a previous understanding between the 2 international locations, Russia is now letting folks with out Finnish visas by means of its checkpoints.

Finnish border guards stated that once they known as their counterparts final yr to complain, the Russians insisted they have been merely following procedures and couldn’t deny folks the proper to cross.

Moayed Salami, 36, a Syrian who reached the crossing in November, stated his expertise confirmed Russia was clearly utilizing the asylum seekers as pawns — however keen ones.

He and 7 different candidates interviewed, all of whom arrived earlier than Finland closed its border, described being escorted by means of three layers of Russian checkpoints, the place their passports have been taken and their entry visas to Russia have been canceled. He and a few others stated the Russian authorities then adopted them till the final stretch earlier than the border.

“What I hold telling the Finnish media, once they say we’re being exploited by Russia, is that it doesn’t matter,” Mr. Salami stated. “How might it? We would have liked a means out. If we needed to flee through Mars, we’d do it.”

Maria Zacharova, Russia’s International Ministry spokeswoman, has stated the accusation that Russia was intentionally facilitating the migrants was not solely false, however “one other instance of the West’s double requirements or lack of requirements in any respect.”

Earlier than Sunday’s election, the crossings have compelled a debate in Finland about what the dangers of those arrivals actually are for the NATO member.

Finland’s safety and intelligence providers have publicly stated Russia might attempt to recruit some migrants as spies, however they’ve shared no proof to again this speculation.

Others say the danger is of Finland undermining its picture of itself as a nation that shares liberal values and acts in accordance with worldwide conventions relating to asylum.

“It’s Russia making an attempt to show us in opposition to our personal values,” stated Iro Sarkaa, a fellow on the Finnish Institute of Worldwide Affairs. “We declare to be a liberal democracy, with a rules-based worldwide order, after which we aren’t even respecting these treaties ourselves?”

On Wednesday, Finland’s well-liked departing president Sauli Niniisto argued that humanitarian legislation was getting used as a “Malicious program” for these making an attempt to cross.

Europe’s commissioner on human rights, in addition to Finland’s personal ombudsman on human rights, have warned that Finland dangers violating humanitarian protections if it doesn’t additionally supply locations for folks to make asylum claims.

“These gamers most likely have a look at this difficulty from the one aspect,” stated Mari Rantanen, the inside minister. “However as a authorities, we’ve got to see the entire image. We have now to maintain our nationwide safety, too, as a result of no person else will.”

Finland makes use of drones and plans to construct a number of stretches of 13-foot-high fences alongside 125 miles of the southern border, with the intention of getting migrants to cross at particular factors that may be monitored. With the assistance of Frontex, the European Union’s border company, they’ve bolstered technical surveillance, together with warmth sensors and cameras.

For now, Finland’s closures have blocked most new arrivals. However Marko Saareks, the deputy chief of division on the Finnish Border Guard, stated that lots of, if not 1000’s, of asylum seekers who’re caught in Russian border cities should still attempt to trek by means of the woods, particularly come spring.

Already, greater than 30 folks have made life-threatening winter treks, together with Rakan Esmail and Abdullah al-Ali, who’re from the Syrian city of Kobani.

Two weeks in the past, they stated, smugglers drove them deep into the forest in freezing evening temperatures, then robbed them at gunpoint of the final $6,000 they’d borrowed for his or her journey.

“They simply shouted at us, ‘Go die!’ and drove off,” Mr. Esmail, 20, recalled.

They nearly did. With solely their pajamas beneath their pants and jackets for additional heat, they trudged by means of snow banks as much as their thighs till they made it to the Finnish aspect and knocked on the door of a small wood cabin. Utilizing Google Translate, they stated, they begged its lone, aged inhabitant to name them an ambulance and the border patrol.

Their brush with an icy dying scared them, however was no deterrent.

Informed that asylum seekers like him have been being described as human weapons, Mr. Esmail was shocked. “We’re not weapons,” he stated, shaking his head. “We’re simply human.”

Johanna Lemola contributed reporting from Helsinki and Nuijamaa, and Emma Bubola from London.