Putin threatens ‘problems’ for Finland as NATO ally, contrasts previous ‘cordial’ ties
Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Finland with "problems" because of its accession to NATO. The countries supposedly had "the most cordial relations" before that, the dictator said in an interview with Russian propagandist Pavel Zarubin on Dec. 17.
"They dragged Finland into NATO," Putin stated.
“Did we have any disputes with Finland? All disputes, including those of a territorial nature, in the middle of the twentieth century, have been resolved. Our relations were the most cordial. There were no problems. Now there will be.”
Due to Finland's accession to NATO, Russia will create the Leningrad Military District and concentrate military units there, he announced.
The Russian dictator nonetheless stated that Moscow does not plan to fight the Alliance, and Putin dismissed the statement of U.S. President Joe Biden about a "possible attack on NATO" as "nonsense."
"Russia has no reason, no interests — neither geopolitical, nor economic, nor political, nor military — to fight with NATO countries.”
“We have no territorial claims, no desire to spoil relations with them. We are interested in developing relations.”
Finland officially joined NATO on April 4, becoming the 31st member state of the North Atlantic Alliance. The country's accession to NATO doubled the length of Russia's border with the Alliance, to 1,340 kilometers.
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