The main reason for Finland's aspiration to join NATO was the alleged nuclear threats from Russia, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto told the Kyodo news agency in an interview published on Sunday, Trend reports citing TASS.
"The bid to join NATO was caused mainly by Russia's nuclear threats," he said.
Finland had to think about "how to react" and "where to get support" in the event of a nuclear and chemical weapons threat, which was a fundamental factor in the decision to join NATO.