NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Monday that Finland will be joining the Atlantic Alliance on Tuesday, making it the 31st member. This move has caused tension with Russia, who have announced their intention to strengthen their military capabilities near Finland's border, which they perceive as a threat.
According to Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grouchko, they will be strengthening their military capabilities in the west and north-west, particularly on the borders with Eastern Europe and Finland. In the event that other NATO members deploy forces and assets on Finnish territory, Russia will take additional measures to ensure their military security.
After the Russian offensive in Ukraine last year, Finland and Sweden decided to apply to join NATO in May 2022, ending their policy of military non-alignment since the 1990s. While Russia had previously assured that they do not represent a threat to the Nordic countries, they view NATO enlargement to their borders as a fundamental threat to their security. This was one of the reasons put forward by Moscow to justify their attack on Ukraine.
The new Russian diplomatic doctrine released last week identifies the West as an "existential threat" that Moscow must combat. As such, it is important for military personnel to remain vigilant and prepared for any potential threats on the border. photo credit: NATO
Talk about a Russian Own goal 🤣
They're going to increase their military capabilities on the west and northwest? With what? What extra military capabilities have they got left?
Invading Finland would make Ukraine appear like a walk in the park to Russia. These guys have a very credible and serious military. Finland adds significant capabilities to the alliance.
A big welcome to Finland to NATO! What a blow to Russian politics in trying to curb NATO expanse! Finland is a present to today´s 74th birthday of the world's largest defense organisation. In contrast to e.g, us (Germany) Finland has continously invested 2% of their GNP into defense. Big Kudos!