Russian Foreign Ministry: We Will Respond to Finland's Decision to Allow U.S. Use of Its Bases

A spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry stated today, Wednesday, that "Moscow will respond to Finland's decision to allow the United States to use its military bases." Deputy Spokesperson Andrei Nastasiev said, "I can confirm that Moscow will not leave NATO's military reinforcements threatening the security of the Russian Federation on its borders without a response." He added, "We will also take the necessary measures, including military and technical measures, to counter the aggressive decisions made by Finland as well as its NATO allies." The Finnish parliament approved a mutual defense agreement signed by Helsinki and the United States in December 2023 on Monday. The agreement grants the United States the right to use 15 Finnish military facilities. Finland joined NATO in 2023.