Finland Races Toward Likely NATO Membership as Putin's Warnings Backfire

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin said Saturday that the country will make a decision on applying for NATO membership by the end of spring, because "Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was."

Finland's relations with Russia have changed in an "irreversible" way, said Marin, reversing course on earlier remarks that it would be "very unlikely" that Finland would apply for membership with the military alliance during her current term of office.

Russian officials have warned of potential retaliation, in the form of military and political consequences, should Finland and Sweden join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Sergei Belyaev, director of the Second European Department of Russia's Foreign Ministry, told Russia's state-run news agency Interfax that Finland and Sweden not joining NATO is "an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/finland-races-toward-likely-nato-membership-as-putins-warnings-backfire/ar-AAVQvoE

Heckuva job Pooty Poot.

[Budi]

1. K & R.

[BeyondGeography]

2. Say goodbye, Sergei

And take your empty threats with you.

[Crunchy Frog]

3. I'm sure the Russian threats will make them less likely to want to join.

[LudwigPastorius]

4. "Russia is not the neighbor we thought it was."

Really?

I guess 450,000 Soviet troops just wanted to borrow a cup of sugar and some reindeer jerky back in 1939.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_War

[James48]

5. Better make it quick!

Because that isn’t going to go over too well. Get it done now - quickly, while you can.

[IronLionZion]

6. Norway was the first NATO member to have a border with Russia

Finland has history of being invaded by Russkies.

[Kaleva]

8. Finland was part of the Russian Empire for about a hundred years.

[IronLionZion]

9. They've been independent for more than 100 years

Since Russia wants to rebuild their former empire, Finland should be prepared just in case.

[maxsolomon]

7. Putin is making his nightmares come true.

Finland could have been in NATO for decades.