Ukraine's embassy in Finland has sent a diplomatic note to the Finnish Foreign Ministry over the staging of a football match between Finland and Belarus in Helsinki, according to Helsingin Sanomat.
Finland will face Belarus in a Nations League tie at Helsinki's Olympic Stadium on 29 September.
Ukraine's ambassador to Finland, Mykhailo Vydoinyk, told HS that the embassy is disappointed the match will be held in Helsinki.
He said he hoped the game would be moved outside Finland.
In recent years, Russia and Belarus have used hybrid tactics against the European Union, including the weaponisation of migration. Last week, six people were found hiding inside a vehicle at the Port of Helsinki in a case linked to a wider phenomenon in which people who have entered the Schengen area from Belarus are transported through different countries to other parts of Europe.
Finland and Belarus were drawn in the same Nations League group in March. The Football Association of Finland initially said the home match against Belarus would be played at a neutral venue.
In May, however, Helsinki's Olympic Stadium was announced as the venue for the match. The Finnish FA cited the International Olympic Committee's policy allowing Belarusian athletes to compete in international events under certain conditions.
That decision also cited sporting fairness, the importance of home advantage for the Finnish team, and the players' readiness and desire to play the match on home soil. It also took into account the views of Finnish supporters.
Vydoinyk said he was surprised by the Finnish FA's decision, saying it ran counter to Finland's otherwise strong support for Ukraine.
Finland last hosted a Belarusian team in autumn 2024, when HJK faced Dinamo Minsk. In the spring of 2025, both Finland's women's and men's futsal teams played Belarus on neutral ground.
The Finnish Football Association meanwhile says it will use the match to raise support for Ukrainians, with the net proceeds from ticket sales donated to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine.
Finland will face Belarus twice in September. Although Belarus is the designated home team for one of the fixtures, the match will be played in Budapest.
