Finland’s entry into NATO, which will officially take place on Tuesday, will be a historic event and a direct result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said, adding that the alliance would ensure Sweden’s full membership.
“(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin had the stated goal of invading Ukraine to shrink NATO,” he told reporters ahead of a meeting of the alliance’s foreign ministers.
“The result is exactly the opposite … Today, Finland, and soon Sweden will become full members of the alliance,” said the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Russian reaction
At the same time, in Moscow, the Kremlin directly threatens to retaliate against Finland’s entry into NATO.
Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said that Finland’s entry into the alliance represents … a security breach by Russia, which reserves the right to take countermeasures in connection with the new situation.
Mr. Peskov added that the NATO structure is hostile to Russia, in several ways, he argued.
Earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that Finland’s accession to NATO increases the risk of conflict.
Source: Reuters.
Source: Kathimerini
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