Russia warns of ‘military-technical’ response to Finnish decision to join NATO

MOSCOW — Russia has warned that it will have to take unspecified “military-technical” steps in response to Finland’s decision to join NATO.

The Russian Foreign Ministry says today that Finland’s accession to NATO will “inflict serious damage on Russian-Finnish relations, as well as stability and security in Northern Europe.”

It says in a statement that “Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps of military-technical and other characteristics in order to counter the emerging threats to its national security.”

The statement notes that while it’s up to Finland to decide on ways to ensure its security, “Helsinki must be aware of its responsibility and the consequences of such a move.” The ministry charges that Finland’s move also violates past agreements with Russia.

“History will determine why Finland needed to turn its territory into a bulwark of military face-off with Russia while losing independence in making its own decisions,” it adds.

The ministry’s statement follows Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s comment earlier today that Finland’s decision wouldn’t help stability and security in Europe. Peskov said that Russia’s response will depend on NATO’s moves to expand its infrastructure closer to the Russian borders.