Lavrov said that Bauer had "bluntly stated" that "to achieve the goals of protecting and defending the member countries of the North Atlantic Alliance, it is necessary to preemptively strike at those targets in the Russian Federation that, in NATO's opinion, could pose a threat," according to Russian state news agency Tass.

The Biden administration’s authorization for Ukraine to use U.S. long-range missiles against Russia has escalated the Ukraine war and increased the likelihood of direct NATO-Russia conflict, according to Moscow.

The bilateral cooperation with the U.S. strengthened the defense capability of Finland, said the Finnish Air Force. It has trained with American strategic bombers in the country's airspace since July, which contributed to NATO's collective defense and deterrence in the High North.

Russia's new intermediate-range ballistic missile has NATO members on edge after the missiles were used in a strike on Ukraine early Thursday morning.