Kremlin-Finland's NATO Accession Will Force Countermeasures From Russia

Comments from Kremlin spox Dmitri Peskov hitting wires. On NATO admitting Finland, states that the move 'will force Russia to take countermeasures to ensure its security.' Adds that Finland's accession to NATO 'is an encroachment on Russia's security,' and the 'structure of the NATO alliance is in many ways hostile towards Russia.'

• With Finland joining the alliance, Russia's land border with NATO states increases dramatically, from 1,233km to 2,573km. In 2022, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu stated that Finland and Sweden joining NATO would see Russia create 12 new military units and divisions in its Western Military District, which borders Finland as well as the Baltic States, Belarus, and northeast Ukraine.
• Given the depleted state of Russia's armed forces both in terms of modern equipment and well-trained personnel due to the attritional nature of the war in Ukraine, the new units along the Finnish border are unlikely to be of notable quality or size.