Ambassador Antti Herantela was summoned to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the early morning hours of December 19th.
The Russian government is so dissatisfied with Finland’s growing military cooperation with the United States that Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova publicly warned its neighbor in a statement.
The spokesperson, who is known for his undiplomatic and aggressive rhetoric, said Ambassador Herantella was told that a new agreement with the United States “will not go through without a response.”
“NATO’s strong military forces on the borders threaten the security of the Russian Federation, and this will be accompanied by a response from the Russian side,” she stressed.
“The necessary measures will be taken to counter the aggressive actions of Finland and its NATO allies,” she stressed, adding that “the responsibility for turning an area of good neighborly relations into an area of potential conflict rests entirely with Finland.” It’s up to the authorities,” he added. ”
Russia’s threat comes after Finland signed a defense cooperation agreement with the United States on Monday.
The agreement regulates U.S. access to and use of numerous military facilities and areas throughout Finland, including the northernmost region of Lapland. This includes the prepositioning of defense equipment, supplies, and materiel, and the entry and movement of U.S. aircraft, ships, and vehicles.
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Similar agreements have been signed in Norway and Sweden, and Denmark is expected to do so in the coming days.
Finland has a border with Russia of more than 1,300 km, and the Lapland region is located near Russia’s highly militarized Kola Peninsula.
Russia’s bloody and aggressive war against Ukraine led to its comprehensive isolation in international affairs. The country’s autocratic ruler Vladimir Putin said “NATO expansion” was the main reason for the war. But this onslaught only resulted in a historic strengthening of the defensive alliance.
Finland will officially join NATO in April 2023, with Sweden following suit.
