As Finland joins hands with NATO, Russia meekly warns of 'negative effect' in ties

Russia timidly warned that Finland's recent accession to NATO will yield "negative" consequences for the Helsinki-Moscow ties, without detailing any concrete steps it could be planning to take. On Tuesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Finland becoming yet another “minor” member of the military alliance has forced Moscow to "respond with military-technical" measures.

“As we have warned on multiple occasions, the Russian Federation will have to respond with military-technical, as well as other measures in order to address national security threats arising from Finland joining NATO,” the Ministry said in a statement, according to RT.

While Russia has warned of negative repercussions, it is yet to reveal any retaliatory steps it could take. However, it has vaguely stated that its response would depend “on the specific terms on which Finland joins NATO, including the deployment of NATO’s military infrastructure and offensive weapons on its territory." 

Russia says Finland has lost its 'independence' by joining NATO 

It further added that NATO's expansion has put Europe's security situation in complete jeopardy, which “used to be one of the most stable regions in the world." “The line of contact between NATO and the Russian Federation’s border has more than doubled," it continued.

According to Russia, Finland has "given up on its unique identity and lost its independence" by joining the bloc and has sacrificed its “special status in international affairs."

“Finland became a minor NATO member without the possibility to influence any decisions. It has lost its ability to have a say in international affairs. Make no mistake, Finland’s accession to NATO will have a negative effect on the bilateral relations between Russia and Finland," the Ministry concluded. 

Finland joined NATO on Tuesday, representing a massive change in Europe's security landscape and delivering a strategic blow to Russia as the two share a 1,340-kilometer border.