The Russian Foreign Ministry has warned that Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, including military and technical ones if Finland joins NATO, Russian Foreign Ministry website reported.

It is noted that Finland's accession to the North Atlantic Alliance will cause serious damage to relations between Moscow and Helsinki, the maintenance of stability and security in Northern Europe.

"Russia will be forced to take tit-for-tat steps of military-technical nature to stop threats to its national security in response to Finland’s possible accession to NATO." the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Earlier, spokesman for the Russian President Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the possibility of Finland's joining the North Atlantic Alliance, said that this does not make the continent stable and safe.

Prior to this, Finnish President and Prime Minister Sauli Niinisto and Sanna Marin said they support the country's membership in NATO. Their joint statement said it was urgent to apply for membership in the alliance.