Russian officials warned Finland and Sweden that joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would have “severe military and political ramifications” (NATO).
According to Fox News, Maria Zakharova, the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson, made the comment during a press conference on Friday, following the country’s attack on Ukraine earlier this week.
“Finland and Sweden should not rely their security on undermining the security of other countries, and their entrance to NATO may have negative implications and face certain military and political consequences,” Zakharova said, according to a video of the briefing.
The ministry reaffirmed its position in a tweet on Friday, saying, “We regard the Finnish government’s commitment to a military non-alignment policy as a vital aspect in sustaining security and stability in Northern Europe.”
“Finland’s entrance to NATO would have severe military and political ramifications,” according to the tweet.
According to the Associated Press, Finland’s Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto responded during an interview with Finnish media on Saturday, “we’ve heard this before.”
“We don’t think it calls for a military threat,” Haavisto told the Associated Press. “If Finland becomes NATO’s external border, that means that Russia will undoubtedly factor that into its own defence preparations.”
According to the Associated Press, Russia and Finland share an 830-mile land border, the longest shared by any European Union member state.
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