On the eve of Finland joining NATO, Russia takes up arms. Moscow announced its intention to strengthen its military capabilities near Finland on Monday, April 3. “We will strengthen our military capabilities in the west and northwest,” on the borders with Eastern Europe and Finland, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said.
“In the event of the deployment of forces and assets of other NATO members on Finnish territory, we will take additional measures to reliably ensure the military security of Russia,” he added, quoted by Russian news agency Ria Novosti.
After the start of the Russian offensive in Ukraine last year, Finland and Sweden decided to turn the page on their policy of military non-alignment in force since the 1990s by applying to join NATO in May. 2022. Russia assured in March that it did not pose a “threat” to the two Nordic countries and had “no dispute” with them.
Russia, however, considers the enlargement of NATO to its borders as a fundamental threat to its security, and Ukraine’s ambition to join the Alliance was one of the reasons put forward by Moscow to justify its attack on this country.
New Russian diplomatic doctrine released last week singles out the West as an “existential threat” whose “dominance” Moscow must fight.
