Finland's PM says NATO membership is "very unlikely" on her watch

Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin poses during an interview with Reuters at her official residence, Kesaranta, in Helsinki, Finland January 19, 2022. REUTERS/Essi Lehto

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finland does not plan to join NATO in the near future but is ready to stand with its European allies and United States by imposing tough sanctions on Russia if it attacks Ukraine, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday.

"It would have a very substantial impact and the sanctions would be extremely tough," Marin told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.