Finland has secured the support of its NATO partners in case of a direct threat even before actually joining the alliance, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said on Wednesday, TASS reports.
"Being in the 'NATO waiting room’, we have received assurances of support from many major players: the US, the UK, key European countries," Haavisto said in an interview with the Yle TV. "I believe that whatever threat Finland faces, we will get help from partners, even if we are not yet members of the alliance," the top diplomat said.
The minister also said that after the Nord Stream incidents, the Baltic Sea states "have strengthened surveillance of the water area and increased security measures at critical infrastructure facilities that could be attacked."
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg earlier stressed that the alliance would take measures to strengthen protection of critical infrastructure of the member states. According to him, any attacks on critical infrastructure "will get a collective response" from the allies.
