Russia's Foreign Ministry on Friday warned of unspecified "consequences" shouldFinlandandSwedenjointhe United States -ledNATOdefense alliance, after Moscow sent troops into Ukraine.Moscow's military actions in Ukraine have sparked a dramatic U-turn in public and political opinion in bothFinlandandSwedenover long-held policies of military non-alignment.Finlandsaid this week it will decide whether to apply forNATOmembership within weeks, andSwedenis also discussing joining the alliance."The choice is up to the authorities ofSwedenandFinland.
But they should understand theconsequencesof such a step for our bilateral relations and for the architecture of European security as a whole," Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in a statement.She added thatSwedenandFinland's membership inNATOis "unlikely to contribute to strengthening (their) international prestige."Zakharova said that the non-alignment policy of the two countries "provided a reliable level of security", while membership in a military alliance is "not capable of strengthening their national security.""They will automatically find themselves on theNATOfrontline," Zakharova said.Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev warned Thursday thatRussiawould deploy nuclear weapons close to the three Baltic states and Scandinavia ifFinlandorSwedendecided tojoin.