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Finland mentioned on Thursday it will apply to hitch Nato “immediately”, with Sweden anticipated to observe, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine appeared set to deliver concerning the very growth of the Western navy alliance that Vladimir Putin aimed to forestall.
The choice by the 2 Nordic nations to desert the neutrality they maintained all through the Chilly Conflict could be one of many greatest shifts in European safety in many years. Moscow referred to as Finland’s announcement a direct risk to Russia, and threatened retaliation, together with unspecified “military-technical”
measures, Reuters experiences. It got here at the same time as Russia’s conflict in Ukraine was struggling one other large setback, with Ukrainian forces driving Russian troops out of the area across the second largest metropolis Kharkiv, the quickest Ukrainian advance since forcing Russia to withdraw from the capital and north-east greater than a month in the past.
Nato Secretary-Basic Jens Stoltenberg mentioned the Finns could be “warmly welcomed” and promised a “easy and swift” accession course of.
French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned he absolutely supported Finland’s selection to hitch the alliance.
Finland’s 1,300km border will greater than double the size of the frontier between the US-led alliance and Russia, placing Nato guards just a few hours’ drive from the northern outskirts of St Petersburg.
“Finland should apply for Nato membership immediately, “President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin mentioned in a joint assertion, hoping steps to take the choice would “be taken quickly throughout the subsequent few days”.
Requested whether or not Finland’s accession posed a direct risk to Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov mentioned: “Positively. Nato growth doesn’t make our continent extra steady and safe.
“This can’t fail to arouse our remorse, and is a motive for corresponding symmetrical responses on our aspect,” Peskov added.
Russian officers have spoken up to now about potential measures together with stationing nuclear-armed missiles on the Baltic Sea.
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