Russian President Vladimir Putin will soon have an even greater NATO presence near Russia's borders.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg made this statement after the signing of a memorandum between Turkey, Sweden, and Finland, which opens the way for the Nordic countries to join the alliance.

"What is happening now is the fastest process of joining NATO ... And this is a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that NATO's doors are open," he said.

According to him, last December Putin, under the guise of security guarantees, demanded to stop the expansion of the alliance.

"He wanted less NATO, but now Putin will get more NATO near his borders," Stoltenberg added. 

As a reminder, today on the sidelines of the NATO summit the Turkish side agreed to support the entry of Sweden and Finland into the North Atlantic Alliance. Specific steps will be discussed for two days.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin demanded that NATO's eastward expansion be ruled out. Moreover, Moscow insisted on the withdrawal of NATO forces and weapons from the territories of the Baltic states and Eastern Europe.