MOSCOW, May 17. /TASS/. Under pressure from Washington, the moves by Finland and Sweden to reverse their stances against membership in military alliances are giving Russia a free hand, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday.

"The steps being taken under pressure from Washington by Finland and Sweden - not actually by their people, but rather their political forces - are giving Russia a free hand," the Russian diplomat said during an on-air broadcast of the Soloviev Live TV channel.

"Washington has given us a free hand by using pressure to make the two countries, which have for many decades remained militarily non-aligned, reverse their strategic course," she said.

Discussions on Finland joining NATO intensified in early April. Key members of the alliance supported the idea, and the majority of Finnish parliamentary members said they would favor membership in the US-led military bloc. On May 15, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto announced that his country would apply to join the North Atlantic alliance. The government of Sweden backed Stockholm’s bid to join NATO on May 16.