NORTH KARELIA, FINLAND – Peer through the wire fence dividing Finland and Russia, and a double-headed eagle stares back. The symbol of the Russian Federation is emblazoned on to a red and green striped post that marks the end of allied territory and the start of Vladimir Putin’s empire. The boundary snakes through dense, uniform forest, and is heavily surveilled. Blocked by a 3.5-metre fence topped with another metre of barbed wire, it is monitored around the clock by cameras, sensors and patrols from land and air. Less than three years ago, this border was open. Russian tourists came and […]