Finland, which is preparing a formal application to join NATO, doesn’t see any “direct military threats” from Russia at the moment, the Nordic nation’s ambassador to the US-led military alliance has said.
Helsinki only expects potential “cyber harassment” or “disinformation campaigns” from Moscow, Klaus Korhonen told CNN on Thursday.
However, the envoy claimed Russia has targeted Finland with such activities in the past and they are “nothing new.”
Finish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin issued a joint statement on Thursday saying the country “must apply for NATO membership without delay.” The leaders said they will formally announce a decision on Sunday and forward it to the Finnish parliament for approval.
Korhonen explained that although Finland stayed out of NATO during the Cold War, it’s been forced to reconsider its stance due to a “very drastic change in our security environment” after the Russian military operation in Ukraine.