Finland on Thursday expressed a commitment to apply for membership to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
The U.S. and the alliance welcomed the move, but Russia warned that the move would threaten its security.
The backdrop: Since Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine began, speculation has mounted over whether Finland and Sweden would depart from their stances of neutrality and join the 30-country bloc.
A day after the invasion began, Russia threatened “military and political consequences” against the countries if they joined the alliance.
“Finland and Sweden should not base their security on damaging the security of other countries and their accession to NATO can have detrimental consequences and face some military and political consequences,” Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at the time.
What Finland said: In a joint statement, Finland's President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin called for their country to join NATO.
The leaders said that being part of the alliance would “strengthen Finland’s security.”
“As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defense alliance,” they said. “Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days.”
Russia’s response: A Kremlin spokesman said on Thursday that Finland joining NATO would threaten Russian security and do nothing for the security alliance.
“As we have said many times before, NATO expansion does not make the world more stable and secure,” Dmitry Peskov said, according to CNN.
When asked directly if Finland’s potential membership was a threat to Russia, Peskov responded “definitely,” Reuters reported.
The U.S., NATO react: In a statement, NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg said that Finland would be “warmly welcomed into NATO, and the accession process would be smooth and swift.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters that the U.S. would support Finland and Sweden joining the alliance.
“Having a strong NATO alliance, a strong western alliance—which is a defensive alliance, by the way---is good for our security around the world,” Psaki said. “And certainly, having a strong partnership with a range of countries, including Sweden and Finland if they decide to join should be reassuring to the American people about our own security interests.”
