MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Finnish government report released on Friday and prepared for the country's Prime Minister said that the joint accession of Finland and Sweden in the alliance is a better option for the country.
"It should be noted that we have no automatic bond in this matter: if one of the two countries decides to join the alliance, the latter must immediately do the same. On the contrary, the process now looks very difficult. And each country, of course, is responsible for their decision-making process on NATO," Niinisto told Yle media outlet.
Since 2014, NATO has been building up its military presence in Europe, particularly in eastern European countries bordering Russia, using Moscow's alleged interference in Ukraine as a pretext for the move.
Moscow has repeatedly denied the claims and warned NATO that the military buildup on Russia’s borders is provocative and could harm regional and global stability.
