Finland has been warned that its gas supply from Russia may be disrupted as Moscow responds to its application to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. 

On Thursday, Finnish media Iltalehti reported that Moscow threatened to cut the country off from Russian gas by Friday. 

Citing unnamed sources, Iltalehti said it expected Finland to be cut off from Russian gas after May 23, when its next contract payment with Gazprom comes due and the country refuses to pay in rubles.

In April, the Finnish minister in charge of European affairs Tytti Tuppurainen, said Finland will not pay for Russian gas in rubles despite Russia’s request for European countries to do so. 

Ms Tuppurained had declared that Finland was prepared for the possibility of Russia cutting off its gas deliveries. 

The predictions come as Finland and Sweden announced their intentions to apply for a fast-tracked NATO membership due to the four-month long occupation of Ukraine by Russia. Sweden is expected to make its announcement in the coming days, according to the Associated Press.

“Russia will be forced to take retaliatory steps, both of a military-technical and other nature, in order to stop the threats to its national security that arise in this regard,” the Russian foreign ministry said in response.

Between 60 per cent  and 70 per cent of Finland’s natural gas is supplied by Russia, though the country’s main sources of energy are oil, biomass and nuclear power.