Russia says it will beef up military in northwest as Finland joins NATO – RIA
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administrator
(Reuters)
Russia will strengthen its military capacity in its western and northwestern regions in response to Finland’s expected accession to NATO tomorrow (April 4), Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said, according to state-owned news agency RIA.
Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO last year after Russia invaded Ukraine. Finland has a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia that will roughly double the transatlantic alliance’s frontier facing Moscow.
“In the event that the forces and resources of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia’s military security.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said last year that Russia was taking “adequate countermeasures” and would form 12 units and divisions in its western military district.
Grushko told RIA: “We will strengthen our military potential in the western and northwestern direction. In the event that the forces and resources of other NATO members are deployed in Finland, we will take additional steps to reliably ensure Russia’s military security.”
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