Russian President Vladimir Putin | Photo: EFE/EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV
The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday (19) summoned the Finnish ambassador to Moscow, Antti Helanterä, to protest against “aggressive decisions” by Helsinki and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and move towards an agreement signed between them refer to Nordic country and the United States.
“On December 19, the Russian Foreign Ministry summoned the Finnish ambassador in Moscow, who was informed that the Russian side will not leave unanswered the increase in NATO's military potential on our border, which threatens Russia's security,” it said the official statement.
The Russian Foreign Ministry warned Helanterä that it will “take the necessary measures to respond to the aggressive decisions of Finland and its NATO allies.”
“The responsibility for transforming the zone of good neighborliness in this region into a zone of possible confrontation lies solely with the current Finnish authorities,” the statement concludes.
The United States signed this Monday (18) a military cooperation agreement with Finland, eight months after the Nordic country officially joined NATO as a result of the war in Ukraine.
The agreement will allow American troops to use 15 military bases in the Nordic country, the Finnish government previously reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Finland last weekend that there were “now problems in relations between the two countries” due to NATO membership, although there had been no problems before.
“There were no problems. Now there will be some. Let's create the Leningrad Military District (NorthWest) and concentrate some military units there. Why did they need that? “It’s simply absurd,” said the Kremlin chief.
Putin has also previously warned that sending US troops to Finnish territory would pose a clear threat to Russia. (With EFE agency)
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