President Sauli Niinisto of Finland said he told President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in a phone call on Saturday that his country is seeking to join NATO because Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine had “fundamentally” altered Finland’s security environment.
Mr. Putin warned the Finnish leader it was a “mistake” to abandon Finland’s longstanding policy of military neutrality when there is no current threat to its security and that the move might have a “negative” effect on what has been a relationship between good neighbors and partners, the Kremlin said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Finland, which has an 810-mile-long eastern border with Russia, decided to seek membership in the Western alliance. On Thursday, Moscow warned there would be “retaliatory steps” including an unspecified “military-technical” response.
On Saturday, Russia suspended its electricity exports to Finland. Read more
@nytimes