At a press conference, Maria Zajárova, a spokeswoman for the Russian Foreign Ministry, threatened Finland and Sweden if they join NATO, according to DW.

“It is clear that the entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO, which is above all a military bloc, would have serious political-military consequences that will require a response from our country,” Zakharova said.

According to DW, the Russian official noted that Moscow is aware of efforts by NATO and the United States to add Finland and Sweden to their ranks.

Meanwhile, Russian diplomacy said that the Finnish government’s policy of military non-alignment is a success to guarantee the security of northern Europe. But he stressed that “practical interaction between Helsinki, Stockholm and NATO has grown recently.”

Finland and Sweden have confirmed the principle of indivisibility of security as members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Meanwhile, a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and calling for the immediate withdrawal of its forces was vetoed by Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations (UN).