Russia said it would “be forced” to retaliate if Finland,the long-neutral country joined the Western military alliance, NATO, imminently, amid the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

This was made in a statement by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The statement reads, “Finland joining NATO is a radical change in the country’s foreign policy.

Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military,technical and other nature, in order to stop threats to its national security arising.

This statement comes immediately after Finland’s President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin said the country should apply to join NATO “without delay.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 has shifted countries like Finland and Sweden’s calculus on NATO membership, with Finland also seriously considering lodging an application to join the alliance.