Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Oleksandr Hrusko gave Moscow’s first reaction on Monday to NATO’s announcement that Finland would be accepted into the North Atlantic alliance a day later, Reuters reported.

A Russian official said Monday afternoon that Russia will increase its military capabilities in its western and northwestern regions in response to the northern country’s accession to NATO.

“Part of the measures have already been announced. We will strengthen the military potential in the west and northwest. If forces and assets of other NATO countries are stationed in Finland, we will take additional measures to reliably ensure Russia’s military security,” Deputy Serhiy Lavrova said.

His comments came shortly after Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s secretary general, announced that Finland would be formally accepted into the alliance later in the day.

“This step will provide more security for Finland, and Sweden will be safer as a result of this step on Finland’s part,” the NATO chief said on Monday.

Stoltenberg’s announcement came after he said last Friday that Finland would be accepted into NATO within days.

“All 30 NATO member countries have ratified the accession protocol. I look forward to raising the Finnish flag at NATO headquarters in the coming days,” Stoltenberg tweeted on Friday after Turkey’s parliament ratified the Nordic country’s accession to the alliance.

Finland will be officially admitted to NATO during the meeting of foreign ministers of the alliance, which will take place on April 4-5 in Brussels.

What Vladimir Putin said about the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO

Finland officially submitted a request to start negotiations on NATO membership on May 15 last year in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Sweden applied for membership a day after its northern neighbor.

Speaking of the two Nordic countries’ abandonment of their historic neutrality, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in late June that Russia would reciprocate with the same currency if NATO places military infrastructure in Finland and Sweden after they join the military alliance.

However, Putin said it would be “no problem” for Russia if Finland and Sweden joined NATO.

“We have no problems with Sweden and Finland, as with Ukraine,” Putin said at a press conference in Ashgabat during an official visit to Turkmenistan.

“If Finland and Sweden want, let them join. It’s their job, they can join wherever they want,” he added.

Earlier on May 14, Putin told Finnish President Sauli Niinisto that it would be a “mistake” for Helsinki to abandon its neutral status and join NATO.

Putin also stated that there is no threat to Finland’s security, adding that a possible change in his foreign policy could negatively affect bilateral relations.

Both Finland and Sweden signed protocols on joining NATO on July 5 last year.

But Sweden’s accession is blocked by opposition Turkey, which accuses the Stockholm government of not doing enough to extradite Kurdish activists it accuses of terrorism, and Hungary, which demands guarantees that Swedish politicians will stop criticizing the executive’s policies against Viktor Orbán.

Finland will not host NATO military bases

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in May that Finland does not want NATO to deploy nuclear weapons or establish military bases on its territory, even if it becomes a member of the alliance.

She specified that the issue of placing nuclear weapons or opening NATO bases in Finland is not part of the negotiations on the country’s accession to the North Atlantic Alliance.

“And I don’t even think there is any interest in deploying nuclear weapons or opening NATO bases in Finland,” the head of government from Helsinki also said.

His Swedish counterpart at the time, Magdalena Andersson, for her part, said that Sweden does not want permanent NATO bases or nuclear weapons on the country’s territory.

A public opinion poll conducted earlier this year in Finland shows that almost half of Finns oppose the establishment of a NATO military base on national territory.

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