Finland or Sweden joining NATO would trigger a Russian response: Russia warns
TBS report
25 February 2022, 22:30
Last modified: February 25, 2022, 10:34 PM
A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry has warned that either Finland’s or Sweden’s accession to the NATO defense alliance would trigger a serious response from Moscow.
Speaking during a news briefing in Moscow, Maria Zakharova threatened that if any of the Nordic countries wanted to join the security alliance, it would “have serious military and political consequences that would require our country to take reciprocal action,” Russian news agencies reported. BBC.
“We see the Finnish government’s commitment to a military freedom of alliance policy as an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe,” Zakharova said.
While Finland cooperates with the Security Alliance on certain issues and participates in today’s meeting with the body in Brussels, it has not formally joined the bloc.
Last month, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said it was “very unlikely” that Finland would apply for NATO membership during its term.