"Our broad concern about Russian aggression persists,” he said.
“The President has highlighted the importance of supporting Ukraine, emphasizing our belief that Putin's ambitions won't end with the conquest and subjugation of Ukraine.”
He underscored how this concern has prompted Finland to join NATO and Sweden to pursue membership in the Alliance and noted that Russia has shown both a readiness and a desire to employ its armed forces to conquer its neighbors by force.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin recently issued threats to Finland, warning of "problems" as a result of Finland’s accession to NATO. He claimed that relations were "most cordial" before this development, though Finland hasmaintained sanctions on Russia since its initial invasion of Ukraine in 2014.
Finland officially joined NATO on Dec. 17, becoming the 31st member of the North Atlantic Alliance. This move doubled the length of Russia's border with NATO to 1,340 kilometers.