Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in a joint statement on Thursday that Finland should apply to join the NATO military alliance.
“NATO membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of NATO, Finland would strengthen the entire defense alliance,” the Finnish leaders said in a joint statement.
“Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay. We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days,” the leaders said.
It comes amid a surge in public support for Nato membership following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Finland shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia.
Finland has been neutral since the end of the Second World War, after it was invaded by the Soviet Union.
The Russian statement (in Russian) described Finland’s move as “a radical change in the country’s foreign policy”.
“Finland’s accession to Nato will cause serious damage to bilateral Russian-Finnish relations and the maintaining of stability and security in the Northern European region,” it said.
“Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature, in order to neutralise the threats to its national security that arise from this.”
(With inputs from agencies)
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