A Russian senator has warned that if Finland joins NATO, Moscow will react, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine pushes further Finland to join the alliance.

Any move by Finland to join NATO would be a “strategic mistake,” according to Vladimir Dzhabarov, a member of Russia’s Federal Council.

Dzhabarov said Finland had developed close ties with Russia, but that NATO membership would make Finland a “target”.

“I think it would be a terrible tragedy for the whole Finnish people,” he said.

However, according to the Russian national news agency, he said that it is unlikely that “the Finns themselves will sign a card for the destruction of their country”.

From its side, the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that “it does not comment on the statements of individual MPs”.

Sergei Belyaev, head of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s European Affairs Department, warned in March that Finland’s accession to NATO would have “serious military and political consequences”.

On Tuesday, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Finland, along with its neighbor Sweden, would be “welcome” to join the alliance.

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