A finger in Russia's eye - retaliation follows? Military response also mentioned
Official Moscow reacted urgently after Finnish leaders supported the country's accession to NATO. Kremlin: "Definitely a threat to Russia".
Source: Tanjug
The expansion of the North Atlantic military bloc will not make the world more stable, the Kremlin said.
Speaking at the press conference, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the steps taken by Finland towards NATO are regrettable and a reason to respond adequately, Reuters reported.
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reacted, announcing that Russia would take military-technical and other retaliatory steps if Finland joined NATO.
"Finland's entry into NATO will cause serious damage to bilateral Russian-Finnish relations, maintaining stability and security in the northern European region. Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both military-technical and others, to stop threats to its national security", states the Ministry in a statement.
It is noted that Finland's entry into NATO will be a direct violation of the country's international legal obligations arising from the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947 and the Treaty between Russia and Finland of 1992 on the basics of bilateral relations.
Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also points out that "the policy of military non-alignment has served as the basis of stability in the northern European region for decades," and that "the role of the military factor has been reduced to zero," Interfax reports.
The statement expressed confidence that "NATO's goal is clear - to continue expanding towards Russia's borders and to create another side for the military threat to our country." "History will decide why Finland would turn its territory into a line of military confrontation with the Russian Federation, while losing its independence in making its own decisions," the statement concludes.
The Finnish President and Prime Minister said earlier that the country must seek NATO membership without "delay".
