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They now had to choose between the Norwegian border near Kirkenes in the north, or the Estonian city of Narva to the south, he said.

Visiting locals from the Russian border town of Nikel faced the diplomat while residents from Kirkenes silently turned their back to him, according to the online outlet the Barents Observer.

There was no immediate comment from Nikolai Konygin, who heads Russia’s Consulate in Kirkenes, which has three diplomats.

Kirkenes is the largest town in the region.

The cruise liner began its latest trip on Sept. 2 in Kirkenes, in Arctic Norway, and was due to return to Bergen, Norway, on Sept. 22, according to SunStone Ships.