Russia fumes as Finland and Sweden push for NATO membership

Senior Russian officials have slammed Finland's decision to seek membership in the NATO alliance — which came as a direct reaction to President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Finland's President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin both said on Thursday that their country should apply to join the transatlantic military bloc "without delay."

Sweden's Foreign Minister Ann Linde said Friday that her country would follow suit without delay, arguing that "Swedish NATO membership would raise the threshold for military conflicts and thus have a conflict-preventing effect in northern Europe."

As Russian political analyst Fyodor Lukyanov said on his Telegram channel "Russia in Global Affairs," Finland joining NATO would increase Russia's land border with NATO member states by around 800 miles. Putin has repeatedly cited the eastward expansion of NATO — which he calls a threat to Russian security — as one of the primary reasons for launching his war in Ukraine.