Finland's membership in NATO would strengthen both the Western military alliance and Finland. This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg after Finland announced that it was applying to join NATO.
He stressed that Finland “will be warmly welcomed into NATO and the entry process will be smooth and quick”.
“Finland is one of NATO's closest partners, a mature democracy, a member of the European Union and an important contributor to Euro-Atlantic security,” Stoltenberg said.
Today Finnish President Sauli Niinistö and Prime Minister Sanna Marin officially announced the country's intention to apply for NATO membership as soon as possible. Finland believes that membership in the Alliance will strengthen its security.
Russia, in the traditional manner, started intimidating Finland with the consequences in case it joins the Alliance. In particular, ex-president Medvedev published a post intimidating Finland and Sweden about increasing russia's military presence in the Baltic, since Finland's and Sweden's accession to NATO “threatens russia”. He wrote that russia “will be forced” to strengthen the group of land forces and air defense forces and deploy the Navy in the waters of the Gulf of Finland. He also said that “there will be no talk about any non-nuclear status of the Baltic”.
He also threatened to raise prices and taxes, increase tensions along the borders, and use the “Iskanders” and nuclear-armed ships “literally at arm's length from their own homes”.