A Russian official on Friday issued a warning to Finland and Sweden should both nations intend to join NATO, saying such moves would have “serious military-political repercussions.”
During a news briefing, Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made the remarks as Russian forces continue to battle the Ukrainian military following an unprovoked invasion into the neighboring country.
“Finland and Sweden should not base their security on damaging the security of other countries and their accession to NATO can have detrimental consequences and face some military and political consequences,” she said in a video clip.
The ministry later posted the same threat on Twitter.
“We regard the Finnish government’s commitment to a military non-alignment policy as an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe,” the tweet reads. “Finland’s accession to @NATO would have serious military and political repercussions.”
