Russian government calls in the Finnish ambassador to discuss the US border agreement

Russia has summoned the Finnish ambassador in Moscow following Finland's signing of a new military cooperation agreement with the US. The agreement, signed on Monday, grants the US broad access to Finland's long border with Russia. In response, Moscow has stated that it will take necessary measures to counter what it perceives as aggressive decisions made by Finland and its NATO allies. Finland joined NATO this year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin accused NATO of drawing Finland into the bloc and announced the creation of a new military district near Finland's border. Finland, on the other hand, has accused Russia of directing migrants towards its territory through a "hybrid operation" and has closed its border crossings with its eastern neighbor temporarily. The agreement allows the US to provide rapid military access and aid to Finland in the event of a conflict, as well as joint training of forces. However, Finland's Defense Minister emphasized that the country continues to invest in its defense and shares the burden in the region and beyond. Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson stated that Moscow would not leave NATO's military buildup on its borders unanswered and blamed the current Finnish authorities for turning the region into a zone of possible confrontation. During the Cold War, Finland maintained relatively friendly relations with the USSR and avoided joining the Western military alliance. However, due to concerns regarding Russia's aggression in Ukraine, Finland, along with Sweden, applied to join NATO. Finland shares a 1,340km (830-mile) frontier with Russia.