Finland, Sweden to apply to NATO
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ASPartOfMe
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Russia threatens to retaliate over membership move
Quote:
Russia has said it will be forced to take "retaliatory steps" over its neighbour Finland's move to join Nato.
A foreign ministry statement said the move would seriously damage bilateral relations, as well as security and stability in northern Europe.
Earlier, Finland's president and PM called for the country to apply for Nato membership "without delay".
Finland shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia. Until now, it has stayed out of Nato to avoid antagonising its eastern neighbour.
Finland will formally announce its decision on Sunday after it has been considered by parliament and other senior political figures.
Sweden has said it will announce a similar decision on the same day.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said he expects the process of giving Sweden and Finland membership to happen "quite quickly".
The Russian statement (in Russian) described Finland's move as "a radical change in the country's foreign policy".
"Finland's accession to Nato will cause serious damage to bilateral Russian-Finnish relations and the maintaining of stability and security in the Northern European region," it said.
"Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature, in order to neutralise the threats to its national security that arise from this."
However, Moscow has not specified what steps it plans to take.
"Everything will depend on how this expansion process plays out, the extent to which military infrastructure moves closer to our borders," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier told reporters
A foreign ministry statement said the move would seriously damage bilateral relations, as well as security and stability in northern Europe.
Earlier, Finland's president and PM called for the country to apply for Nato membership "without delay".
Finland shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia. Until now, it has stayed out of Nato to avoid antagonising its eastern neighbour.
Finland will formally announce its decision on Sunday after it has been considered by parliament and other senior political figures.
Sweden has said it will announce a similar decision on the same day.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said he expects the process of giving Sweden and Finland membership to happen "quite quickly".
The Russian statement (in Russian) described Finland's move as "a radical change in the country's foreign policy".
"Finland's accession to Nato will cause serious damage to bilateral Russian-Finnish relations and the maintaining of stability and security in the Northern European region," it said.
"Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature, in order to neutralise the threats to its national security that arise from this."
However, Moscow has not specified what steps it plans to take.
"Everything will depend on how this expansion process plays out, the extent to which military infrastructure moves closer to our borders," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier told reporters
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Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity
It is Autism Acceptance Month
“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman
Remember kids: the best way to get your neighbors to join a defensive alliance is to invade or threaten your neighbors for considering joining that defensive alliance.
Why would anyone want to join a defensive pact when their superpower neighbor shows a consistent willingness to invade its neighbors?
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Δυνατὰ δὲ οἱ προύχοντες πράσσουσι καὶ οἱ ἀσθενεῖς ξυγχωροῦσιν.
Those with power do what their power permits, and the weak can only acquiesce.
- Thucydides
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