Russia warns that the integration of this country and Finland into the Alliance is “a serious mistake” and that “it will take action” if the two nations are armed
Sweden yesterday gave new impetus to its intention to join NATO by announcing its formal intention to become a candidate country for Alliance membership. Sweden’s move, which Finland could soon follow, is a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has blistered the Kremlin. Moscow assured Monday that the two countries’ accession to the Atlantic Alliance is “a grave mistake” and raised the tone by assuring that “it will take action” if NATO arms these two states.
As Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov warned, future integration into NATO is “an extra serious mistake, the consequences of which will have far-reaching consequences”. The magnitude of the Russian response will depend on “the practical consequences of the accession of Finland and Sweden. For Russia, this move “will not serve to strengthen the security of the two Scandinavian countries”, but on the contrary: “The level of military tension would increase,” Riabkov warned.
President Vladimir Putin himself stated that the integration of these two states into NATO is not a “immediate threat” to Moscow, but warned that it will respond with its allies – Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – if there is a military infrastructure. He also indicated that this move “exacerbates an international situation that was already difficult”.
The Kremlin’s response came shortly after the Swedish prime minister reported that the government had formally decided to apply to join NATO. In a press conference with the leader of the opposition Moderate Party, Ulf Kristersson, Sweden’s Prime Minister, Magdalena Andersson, emphasized that the country is “leaving an era to enter a new era”. The text states that the request is conditional on the Atlantic Alliance not deploying nuclear weapons or permanent bases on Swedish soil, in a decision it describes as “historic”.
Sweden takes the step shortly after Finland announced it would join the military organization, a discussion that continues within the Finnish parliament. This is a historic change of course for the two countries that see a clear threat in Moscow. The Kremlin justified its offensive against Kiev for its rapprochement with NATO and its political, diplomatic and military support for the Ukrainian government.
Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said the security situation has “deteriorated for Sweden and for Europe as a whole” as a result of the Russian invasion. In the case of Finland, its proximity to Russia, with which it shares a border of more than 1,300 kilometers, motivated this decision.
The Secretary General of NATO is in favor of the joint candidacy of the two countries. “If they decide to sign up, it’s a historic moment. Their accession would enhance our shared security, demonstrate NATO’s open door policy and demonstrate that aggression is not worth it,” he said.
Meanwhile, an intensive day of negotiations was held within the European Union on Monday to try – unsuccessfully – to approve the sixth package of sanctions against Russia. The biggest stumbling block remains the embargo on Russian oil, which Hungary is absolutely against, as it is the only supplier of this material in the country.
The head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, tried to promote the release of the sixth set of measures against Moscow. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitro Kuleba attended the meeting and assured that “sanctions are needed to stop Putin’s war”. That’s why we have to “kill Russian exports,” he added.
Source: La Verdad
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