Russia warns of ‘serious’ military and political repercussions if Finland joins NATO

Russia has warned Finland of “serious military and political repercussions” if it joins NATO, amid the Ukraine crisis.

Finland is not a NATO member but is part of the EU and is a neutral country. But Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said this week that the debate surrounding membership of NATO “will change” in the wake of the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The response from Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova was quick and unequivocal: “We regard the Finnish government’s commitment to a military non-alignment policy as an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe. Finland’s accession to NATO would have serious military and political repercussions.”

💬#Zakharova: We regard the Finnish government’s commitment to a military non-alignment policy as an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe.

☝️Finland’s accession to @NATO would have serious military and political repercussions. pic.twitter.com/eCY5oG23rL

— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) February 25, 2022

Marin previously said last month it is “very unlikely” Finland - which borders Russia - would apply for a NATO membership during her current term of office.

“All in all, I believe the NATO discussion will increase in the coming years,” she had told Reuters.

On Thursday, NATO secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said that he “values the close partnership” with Finland and Sweden even if they are not members. “This is a question of self-determination and the sovereign right to choose your own path and then potentially in the future, also to apply for NATO membership.”

The NATO alliance is currently made up of 28 European countries and the US and Canada. Russian President Vladimir Putin has used Ukraine’s ambition to become a NATO member as a pretext to invade the country.

Russian troops entered Ukraine on three fronts on Thursday amid continuous shelling of cities across the country. The Russian military has advanced on the capital Kyiv and is engaged in street battles with Ukrainian troops. Numerous civilian deaths have been reported.

Russia’s invasion has been condemned by western powers and the EU, US and Canada have imposed sanctions on Russian elite, including Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

NATO has said it will not intervene militarily in Ukraine but has sent troops and weapons to member countries bordering Russia and Ukraine.