Kremlin vows revenge as Finland set to join Nato

Application in days as nation opts to give up its neutrality

MOSCOW has vowed military retaliation after neighbouring Finland declared it would join Nato.

The Finnish prime minister and president announced yesterday that a formal application would be lodged within days.

The move – likely to be followed by Sweden – sparked a furious response from Russia, which branded it ‘definitely’ a threat. The foreign ministry warned: ‘Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature, to stop threats to its national security arising.’

Hours later, ex-president Dmitry Medvedev – an ally of President Vladimir Putin – warned that Nato countries supporting Ukraine risked sparking a nuclear war.

There were also claims that Russia could cut gas supplies to Finwould

‘A geopolitical game-changer’

land, although gas only makes up 5 per cent of its energy use.

The historically neutral country’s move to join Nato could dramatically change the stakes in a conflict between the West and Russia.

Under Nato’s Article 5, an attack on one of its 30 member countries is regarded as an attack on all.

Finland shares an 830-mile border with Russia. It had opted to stay neutral and keep out of Nato for fear of antagonising Russia.

However, public sentiment for joining the western military alliance has grown since Putin invaded Ukraine in February. Public opinion in Finland has switched from up to 80 per cent against joining Nato to 70 per cent in favour.

President Sauli Niinisto and prime minister Sanna Marin said yesterday: ‘Nato membership would strengthen Finland’s security. As a member of Nato, Finland would strengthen the entire defence alliance. Finland must apply for Nato membership without delay. We hope the national steps needed to make this decision will be taken within days.’

Filing a membership application by itself will not bring the two countries under the protection of Article 5. Finland and Sweden

not benefit from the collective defence clause until the parliaments of all 30 member states had ratified the decision.

But both are seeking agreements that Nato members will defend them while their applications are processed. The UK has already signed pacts to that effect.

Despite a population of only 5.5million, Finland has 257,000 troops, 100 main battle banks and 672 pieces of artillery.

Kate Hansen Bundt, secretary general of the Norwegian Atlantic Committee, said: ‘Finnish and Swedish Nato membership will be a geopolitical game-changer. It will strengthen Nato’s deterrence and defence by adding democratic, wealthy, and relatively strong military countries in a strategically vital region to the alliance.’ Finland’s government is likely to vote on applying to join Nato on Sunday, with its parliament voting next week. Nato is expected to endorse the application next month, but it would then take up to a year for all 30 Nato members’ parliaments to ratify it.

Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said Finland would be ‘warmly welcomed’ and said joining would be ‘smooth and swift’.

Finnish politician Elina Valtonen told Sky News: ‘Following events in Ukraine, it’s a logical situation to join Nato, to partner up with our friends and allies in the West.’

Yesterday, Boris Johnson said he ‘just cannot see for the life of me how we can renormalise relations with Putin now’.