Finland Joins US-Led NATO Military Alliance, Russia Warns Of Countermeasures
As Finland became the 31st member of the NATO security alliance on Tuesday (April 4), Russia said it would have to take countermeasures in response to the Nordic country's membership.
As Finland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) security alliance as the 31st member on Tuesday (April 4), Russia said that it will have to take countermeasures concerning the Nordic country's accession to the security alliance, Russian news agency Tass reported quoting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
"The Kremlin believes that this is yet another escalation and that NATO’s expansion is posing a threat to our security and the interests of the Russian Federation. We will take countermeasures to ensure our security both tactically and strategically," Peskov warned as he said Russia would respond as it thinks fit.
"We will closely monitor developments in Finland and see how the North Atlantic bloc will use Finnish territory in terms of the deployment of weapons, systems, and infrastructure close to our border, potentially posing a threat to us," he said.
According to him, the situation in Finland's immediate vicinity "is fundamentally different from the situation in Ukraine." First and foremost, Finland was never anti-Russian, and we have had no disagreements with Finland," Peskov insisted. "The situation in Ukraine is quite the opposite, and it is potentially more dangerous. This is why we needed to carry out the special military operation to achieve all of our objectives," he added further.
Finish Accession Doubles US-Led Military Alliance's Border With Russia:
The accession of Finland is considered to be a setback for Russia's Vladimir Putin, who had repeatedly complained about NATO's expansion before his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's border with NATO member states has now doubled in length.
Finland and Russia share a 1,340-kilometer (832-mile) eastern border, and Finland and Sweden formally applied to join NATO last May as a result of Russia's war.
Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesman, warned that Russia would be "watching closely" what happened in Finland, calling NATO's expansion a "violation of our security and national interests."
'A New Era Begins': Finland
A statement issued by the Finnish government after the country became the 31st member of the security alliance, said: "Each country maximises its security. So does Finland. At the same time, NATO membership strengthens our international position and room for manoeuvre. As a partner, we have long actively participated in NATO activities. In the future, Finland will contribute to NATO's collective deterrence and defence".
"As a NATO member, Finland will need readiness for change and adaptability. While membership does not change everything, being an ally requires us to adopt new ways of thinking and some changes in legislation as well," it said.
— Sauli Niinistö (@niinisto) April 4, 2023
'This Will Make Finland Safer And NATO Stronger': Stoltenberg
"This will strengthen NATO and make Finland safer," Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Tuesday, according to BBC.
Finland and Sweden had previously pursued non-alignment policies. However, following the invasion of Ukraine, they chose the protection of NATO's Article Five, which states that an attack on one member is an attack on all.
In practise, this means that if Finland is invaded or attacked, all Nato members, including the US, will come to its aid.
The Russian invasion prompted a surge in Finnish public support for Nato membership, with 80 per cent in favour.
Sweden's Membership Still On Hold:
Sweden's application is currently stalled, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan accusing Stockholm of embracing Kurdish militants and allowing them to march in the streets. Hungary is also yet to approve Sweden's membership.
As he handed over the accession document to Blinken, Finland's Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated, "The task is to give you for the deposit also our ratification for Swedish membership," BBC reported.
Stoltenberg previously stated that Nato would ensure Sweden was the next member to join.
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