April 4, 2023 - Russia-Ukraine news

Moscow has accused NATO of threatening Russia’s "security and national interests" by officially welcoming Finland into the alliance at a ceremony in Brussels later Tuesday.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that Finland’s accession is an "aggravation of the situation," referring to Moscow’s claims that the military alliance is planning to encroach on Russia’s borders.

Finland shares an 800-mile (1,300-kilometer) border with Russia, but NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters earlier that the alliance's troops would only be stationed in Finland with the country’s consent. 

The move, Peskov warned, will force Moscow to "take counter-measures to ensure our own security, both tactically and strategically."

He said Moscow would "keep monitoring the situation and the deployment of NATO infrastructure and weapons on the territory of Finland," adding the "response measures will be taken accordingly."

While Russia’s premise for its invasion of Ukraine was in part to fend off NATO from expanding close to its borders, Peskov rejected claims that Finland’s accession, a direct response to the war, was a geopolitical defeat for Russian President Vladimir Putin, claiming it is "fundamentally different" from the situation with Ukraine.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said he's happy with Finland’s accession to NATO, but added the best way to guarantee security in Europe is to have Ukraine join the alliance as well.

"We are all happy for Finland today," Kuleba said as he was welcomed to the NATO headquarters by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg on Tuesday.

Finland reneged on decades of neutrality when it announced its intention to apply for NATO membership just over a year ago, after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. It is set to join the alliance on Tuesday.

Ahead of talks with the NATO chief, Kuleba went on to say discussions would focus on ensuring sustainability of support for Ukraine, as well as speeding up deliveries of equipment that had already been pledged.

"I came here to NATO to speed up deliveries of what has already been pledged to Ukraine, primarily artillery ammunition, armored infantry vehicles, armored personnel carriers, everything that Ukraine needs for a successful counter-offensive."

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has claimed that Belarusian aircraft have been upgraded to be able to carry out nuclear strikes, in response to NATO's imminent expansion.

"Part of the Belarusian attack aircraft acquired the ability to strike at enemy targets with nuclear weapons," Shoigu said on Tuesday. "In addition, the Iskander-M operational-tactical missile system was handed over to the Armed Forces of Belarus. It can use missiles, both conventional and nuclear."

Shoigu went on to say Belarusian forces were being trained on the Iskander system in Russia.

The Russian defense minister claimed the decision to give Belarus the nuclear capable systems was a response to NATO’s expansion toward Russia's border, with Finland set to join the alliance on Tuesday.

Though the Nordic state shares an 800-mile (1,300 kilometer) border with Russia, Stoltenberg told reporters earlier that NATO troops would only be stationed in Finland with the country’s consent. 

However, Shoigu said that "retaliatory measures" were necessary in "defending the security of the Union State."

"NATO is carrying out a set of measures to increase the combat readiness of the Joint Armed Forces, intensifying combat training and reconnaissance activities near the borders of Russia and Belarus. In the near future, Finland will become a member of the alliance," he said.

The defense minister’s remarks follow Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Moscow would complete the construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus before July.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reiterated on Tuesday the alliance had not seen any change on Russia’s nuclear posture that would force it to adjust its own stance.

Finland is set to join NATO on Tuesday in a "truly historic" moment for the military alliance, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said, adding that the move was a direct result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. 

The Nordic nation ditched decades of neutrality when it announced its intention to join NATO last year, after Moscow launched its war in Ukraine.

"Putin had declared [the] goal of the invasion of Ukraine [was] to get less NATO, he wanted less NATO along his borders, he wanted to close NATO’s door," Stoltenberg said. "He is getting exactly the opposite."

Although the Nordic state shares an 808-mile (1,300-kilometer) border with Russia, Stoltenberg told reporters that NATO troops would only be stationed in Finland with the country’s consent. 

"By becoming a full-fledged member we are removing the room for miscalculation in Moscow about NATO's readiness to protect Finland, and that makes Finland safer and NATO stronger and all of us safer."

Stoltenberg also told reporters he anticipated that Sweden, which announced its intention to join the alliance at the same time as Finland, would become a member "soon."

NATO has an open-door policy, which means any country can be invited to join the alliance. But under accession rules, any member state can veto a new country from joining. Turkey and Hungary are both stalling Sweden's membership.

A top Russian spy chief has claimed the West is pushing Georgia, which borders Russia, into a conflict with Moscow to open a "second front," as the war in Ukraine is not developing "in favor" of Kyiv.

"We see persistent attempts by Washington, Brussels and London to convince the Georgian leadership of the need to open a so-called second front," the head of Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin told reporters on Tuesday while visiting Belarus, according to Belarusian state news agency BelTA.

"They see that the current situation on the battlefield is not in favor of Ukraine, and are forcing Georgia to enter into conflict with the Russian Federation," Naryshkin claimed, according to BelTa.

He also held a meeting with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday, during which the Belarusian leader told Naryshkin that the two countries were facing "serious" threats.

"Taking into consideration various developments going on in the world, and not the last factor here is fight against terrorism, we see that the special military operation of the Russian Federation prompted us to have a scrupulous look at law enforcement, military and security agencies," Lukashenko said, according to BelTa. 

The chairman of the Belarusian KGB Ivan Tertel also attended the meeting with Lukashenko, and will have a separate meeting with  Naryshkin, according to BelTa. 

Some context: Lukashenko is a key autocratic ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Belarus helped Russia launch its invasion in February 2022, allowing Moscow's troops to enter the country through its shared border with Ukraine.

Last month, protests erupted in Georgia after the country's parliament passed the first reading of a draft law that would require some organizations receiving foreign funding to register as "foreign agents." The ruling party later announced it would scrap the controversial bill over fears it would drive a wedge between the Caucasian nation and Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday, as the US reaffirms its support for Kyiv amid Russia's invasion.

The pair met alongside a delegation of American politicians, businessmen and representatives of charitable organizations, Zelensky's office announced in a statement Tuesday.

"Glad to see that you came with your friends. Comprehensive American support is extremely important for us," Zelensky told Pompeo, according to his office.

The group discussed Ukraine’s "movement towards NATO," sanctions on Russia and investment opportunities in Ukraine, according to Zelensky’s office.

The US has emerged as a staunch ally of Kyiv since Russia began its invasion in February 2022, having sent billions of dollars' worth of critical military aid to Ukraine.

The United States, European Union and international partners will continue to work "in lockstep" to ensure Ukraine can defend itself amid Russia's grueling invasion, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday.

He added that the stakes for cooperation between the White House and its allies "cannot be higher" and reaffirmed their support for Kyiv in a conflict that has posed diplomatic challenges for Western leaders, as they weigh up the cost of sending weaponry to Ukraine without provoking Moscow.

"The US and the EU continue to work in lockstep together with a broad coalition of partners around the world to ensure that Ukraine can defend itself, its people, its territory, the right to choose its own path," Blinken added, speaking alongside EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

Upcoming discussions between the US and EU will focus on ways to further reduce Europe's dependence on Russian energy and boost clean energy production, Blinken said. 

"US-EU relations have never been stronger or more important for advancing our shared interests," Blinken added.

Finland is set to become the 31st NATO member on Tuesday, in a historic expansion that will see the military alliance's border with Russia double.

The country’s accession will be completed during a formal ceremony at NATO headquarters in Brussels later Tuesday, marking a major shift in the security landscape in northeastern Europe that adds about 1,300 kilometers (830 miles) to the alliance’s frontier with Russia.

Prior to Tuesday, Russia shared about 1,215 kilometers (755 miles) of land border with five NATO members. 

The accession ends months of diplomatic hurdles and marks a turning point for the Nordic nation, which abandoned decades of neutrality when it announced its intention to join the alliance just over a year ago.

Finland and Sweden both re-evaluated their stance after Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his troops into Ukraine in February 2022.

However, Turkey continues to block Sweden's application. NATO has an open-door policy, which means any country can be invited to join the alliance. But under accession rules, any member state can veto a new country from joining.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said his country is "now ready to join NATO," following a unanimous vote in Turkey’s parliament to approve Finland’s NATO accession last week.

"All 30 NATO members have now ratified Finland’s membership. I want to thank every one of them for their trust and support," he also said. "Finland will be a strong and capable ally, committed to the security of the Alliance."

"We look forward to welcoming Sweden to join us as soon as possible," the Finnish president added.

CNN's Ivana Kottasová and Tara John contributed reporting.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met a Republican congressional delegation from the US on Monday and thanked them for their support for Ukraine, the president's office said in a statement on Tuesday. 

The delegation to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv was led by Chairman of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Rep. Mike Turner.

Zelensky updated the delegation on the situation at the frontline and “outlined the forecast for its development in the coming months,” his office said. 

The Ukrainian President also called for additional military support and for the swift delivery of weapons and other equipment from the US that has already been promised.