Russia has warned Finland and Sweden against joining NATO, saying the move would not bring stability to Europe.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on April 11 that “the alliance remains a tool of confrontation.”

The statement comes after US Defense officials said the Russian invasion of Ukraine was a “major strategic mistake” that is expected to affect NATO enlargement.

US officials expect the Nordic neighbors to seek membership in the alliance, potentially by June this year.

Washington is believed to support the move, which would increase the Western alliance to 32 member states.

US State Department officials said last week that there were discussions between NATO leaders and foreign ministers from Helsinki and Stockholm.

Prior to the start of the invasion of Ukraine, Russia had demanded that NATO no longer expand, but the war had prompted more allied troops to engage on the eastern flank.

Meanwhile, public support for the membership of Sweden and Finland in this institution has increased.

Finland shares a 1,340-kilometer-long border with Russia.

Peskov said that NATO “is not the kind of alliance that ensures peace and stability, and its further expansion will not bring additional security to the European quantity.”

He said last week that Russia should “rebalance the situation” through its measures if Sweden and Finland join NATO.

On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered what he considered a “special military operation” to demilitarize Ukraine.

The Kremlin action has sparked outrage and been condemned in many parts of the world.