When notified of Finland’s intention to apply for NATO membership, Russian President Vladimir Putin was “calm and collected,” Finnish President Sauli Niinisto told CNN on Sunday.
According to the Finnish President, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine demonstrated that Moscow was willing to attack an autonomous neighboring nation.
While Niinisto does not expect Russia would invade Finland in the near future, he does feel that the “divided political landscape of Europe and the world does not leave much place for the non-aligned.”
Finland, which has been non-aligned militarily for 75 years, has a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia.
Moscow has frequently warned Helsinki of the risks of joining NATO. According to the Kremlin, Putin considers Finland’s NATO membership a “mistake.”
Finland and Sweden are set to join NATO as Russia’s assault on Ukraine has changed their approach, leading them to seek protection by joining the Western military alliance.
