Russia has renewed its threats to Finland as the country began deliberating the option to join NATO.
Following Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, neutral Sweden and Finland began entertaining the idea of becoming part of the military alliance NATO in a bid to preserve their national interests and avoid being invaded while having limited external support.
As Finnish authorities have confirmed, the decision on whether the country will request to join NATO or not will likely be made in the following weeks.
In fear of having another NATO ally right at their doorstep, Russia has since renewed its threats to Finland saying they would face destruction should they join the alliance.
Issuing the audacious warning was Vladimir Dzhabarov, a top Russian statesman, politician, lawyer, and senator of the Russian Federation.
“If the leadership of Finland goes for it, it will be a strategic mistake. Finland, which has been successfully developing all these years thanks to close trade and economic ties with Russia, would become a target,” he said.
“I think it [would be] a terrible tragedy for the entire Finnish people.”
Dzhabarov went on to claim that the people of Finland likely won’t be the ones responsible for signing “a card for the destruction of their country.”
The warning comes after Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin suggested the country’s relationship with Russia was irreversibly damaged and revealed that all options are on the table.
“Both joining (NATO) and not joining are choices that have consequences,” she said.
“We need to assess both the short-term and long-term effects. At the same time, we must keep in mind our goal: ensuring the security of Finland and Finns in all situations.”
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