Russia reacts to possible NATO weapon deployment in Finland

The Finnish-Russian Imatra border crossing is pictured in Imatra, south-eastern Finland, on May 13, 2022. (ALESSANDRO RAMPAZZO / AFP)

MOSCOW/KYIV – Russia said Sunday it will strengthen its border with Finland if NATO's striking weapons are deployed in Finland.

"If NATO deploys offensive, striking weapons in Finland, in close proximity to us, we will strengthen our border and increase the presence of Russian troops on the border," Viktor Bondarev, chairman of the Defense and Security Committee of the Federation Council, said on Telegram.

He called Finland's intention to join NATO "disturbing" in a geopolitical sense.

READ MORE: NATO expects Turkey not to hold up Finland, Sweden membership

The statement came hours after Finland's president and the government's foreign policy committee made an official decision to start the process of the country's application for NATO membership.

Lviv military facility hit by rockets

Four Russian rockets hit a military infrastructure facility in Ukraine's western Lviv region early Monday, said Maksym Kozytsky, head of the Lviv regional military-civilian administration.

"The facility is completely destroyed," Kozytsky said on Telegram, without giving details.

Ukraine, US discuss military aid

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Sunday that he had discussed military aid for Kyiv and global food security with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

ALSO READ: Ukraine crisis could've been prevented but for the US

“More weapons and other aid is on the way to Ukraine," Kuleba tweeted after the talks in Berlin.

Kyin won’t compromise on territorial integrity

Ukrainian parliament chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk said that Ukraine will not compromise on the issue of territorial integrity in a possible peace deal with Russia, the government-run Ukrinform news agency reported Sunday.

"The issue of territorial integrity should be outside the brackets in this agreement. Crimea and Donbass are Ukraine," Stefanchuk said. 

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