Finland will today debate joining NATO after a petition calling for a referendum reached 50,000 signatures in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The move to debate Finland's NATO membership comes after its neighbor Russia said the country could face "military and political consequences" if they join the military alliance, per The Hill.
Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said last week: "Finland and Sweden should not base their security on damaging the security of other countries and their accession to NATO can have detrimental consequences and face some military and political consequences."
Zakharova's warning was later shared to the official Twitter account for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.
Finnish MPs will discuss the possibility of their country joining NATO on Tuesday, March 1, after Russia launched a full-scale attack on Ukraine earlier this week following months of threats.
President Vladimir Putin's aggression toward Ukraine has been widely condemned by the international community, including with economic sanctions and NATO troops massing in the region.
"I fully understand that the view of many Finns on the issue of NATO membership has changed or is changing as Russia has started military action against Ukraine. This is understandable," Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin has said.
She said on Monday evening that a planned debate in parliament the following day would cover the situation in Ukraine and was not intended as a "wider conversation on Finland's policy regarding military alignment or non-alignment".
However, Marin added that since a citizen's petition requesting a parliament debate on a referendum had reached the necessary 50,000 signatories to trigger a debate in parliament, it "makes sense to hear the parties' views on handling the issue."
"From this perspective, the issue will also figure in tomorrow's parliamentary debate," she added.
The petition, which is calling for a referendum on NATO membership, was launched last Monday and reached the targeted 50,000 by the end of the week.
Marin said that the shift in Finnish opinion on joining NATO has been influenced by Russia's movements in Ukraine.
She told Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat: "The question is if Russia crosses a border, are we alone or with others."
Both Sweden and Finland have rejected any Russian interference in their foreign security policy.
It comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an application for the country to join the European Union.
The move was announced as a "historic moment" by the Parliament of Ukraine on Twitter.
If you would like to know how you can support the Ukrainian people at this time, click HERE to find a list of organizations and groups dedicated to helping those affected by this crisis.
