Russia summons the Finnish ambassador over a new military deal with the US
Moscow summoned the Finnish ambassador to Russia on Tuesday to express its opposition to a new defense deal between Finland, a new member of NATO, and the United States that would give the latter extensive access to the zone around the Scandinavian country's long border granted to Russia. said the Russian Foreign Ministry.
The Finnish ambassador “was informed that Russia will not leave unanswered NATO's military buildup on its border, which threatens the security of the Russian Federation, and will take the necessary measures to counter aggressive decisions by Finland and its allies,” the spokesman assured of the ministry, Maria Zakharova, in a press release.
The Scandinavian country became the newest member of the transatlantic military alliance in 2023 in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The agreement reached between Helsinki and Washington on Monday lists fifteen facilities and areas in Finland where the US military will have unrestricted access and can also store military equipment and ammunition, including four air bases and a military port.
A similar 10-year deal was also signed Tuesday between the United States and Denmark to allow American soldiers and military equipment to be stationed on Danish soil, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said. It comes on top of the agreement signed this month with Sweden, which, unlike its Finnish neighbor, is still awaiting final confirmation of its NATO membership.