Finland’s accession to NATO: “There was no problem, but there will be one now,” Putin said

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Finland’s entry into NATO this year would create “problems” where “there were none” and responded by announcing a military build-up near his border in the northwest. “There were no problems there, but now there will be problems because we are going to create the Leningrad Military District and concentrate a certain number of units there,” he told a public television journalist in an interview aired on Sunday, in which he accuses the West of “ brought Finland into NATO.”

Relations between the two neighbors, who share a 1,340-kilometer border, have deteriorated significantly since February 2022 and Russia’s offensive in Ukraine, an attack that prompted security-conscious Finland to join NATO in April 2023.

” They (West, editor’s note) accepted Finland into NATO. Did we have any disagreements with them? All disputes, including territorial ones, that arose in the mid-twentieth century have been resolved long ago,” Putin said.

VIDEO. Finland will join NATO

His remarks came as Finland announced Thursday it was again closing its entire border with Russia, hours after opening two border crossings, accusing Moscow of masterminding the migration crisis.

According to Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen, the decision will be in effect from 20:00 Friday (18:00 GMT) until January 14. Helsinki accuses Moscow of deliberately allowing these migrants through, condemning a “hybrid attack” aimed at destabilizing Finland. The accusations are rejected by the Kremlin.

Moscow has promised to take “countermeasures” after Finland joins NATO.

Moscow “has no interest in fighting with NATO countries”

Vladimir Putin added that Russia has no reason to fight with NATO countries, and American President Joe Biden in early December raised the question of the possibility of a Russian attack on a NATO member country.

Warning that cutting off US aid to Kyiv would be the “greatest gift” to Putin, Joe Biden warned that the Russian president would “not stop” in dealing with Ukraine. American leaders are “demonizing Russia,” retorted Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov. For Putin, “this is rhetoric designed to justify erroneous policies towards Russia.” Moscow “is not interested geopolitically, economically or militarily in the fight against NATO countries,” he assured.

The Russian offensive launched in February 2022 in Ukraine has raised concerns within NATO about its eastern flank. On Thursday, Atlantic Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg estimated that “if Putin wins in Ukraine, there is a real risk that his aggression will not stop there.”