The Russian Foreign Ministry said that it had summoned Finnish Ambassador to Moscow, Antti Helantera, on Tuesday to hand him a note of protest concerning the expulsion of two employees at the Russian Embassy in Helsinki.  

"The head of the diplomatic mission was strongly protested in connection with the groundless expulsion from Finland of two employees of the Russian embassy in Helsinki as part of the EU anti-Russian sanctions campaign, as well as Finland's confrontational course towards Russia," the ministry said in a statement.

As a response measure, Moscow is expelling two Finnish diplomats from Russia, the statement added.

That said, Finland's president and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy completed a report on the country's NATO membership and decided that the country will seek to join the alliance, according to a statement from the Finnish government.

According to the statement, “In the meeting, the President and the Ministerial Committee agreed that Finland would apply for membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) after the Parliament has been heard."

Earlier this month, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned UK Ambassador in Moscow Deborah Bronnert to protest London’s latest sanctions, including against All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK).

The Russian Foreign Ministry said it had summoned Deborah Bronnert, Britain's Ambassador to Russia, and strongly protested about new UK sanctions on Russian media.

The Ministry said in a statement Russia would continue to react "harshly and decisively" to all sanctions imposed by London.