Twelve new military units are to be established in western Russia. Since Finland and Sweden plan to join NATO, the military threat has increased, said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
The country will respond appropriately, he told RIA news agency. For example, Russia will stop supplying gas to Finland on Saturday. The government had previously reacted relatively calmly to the accession plans. Sweden and Finland’s entry into NATO probably wouldn’t make much of a difference, as both countries have been involved in military alliance maneuvers for a long time.
Sweden and Finland reportedly applied for NATO membership on Wednesday. One argument for joining is that they are concerned for their safety because of the war in Ukraine. While many states have already expressed their support, Turkey is currently blocking accession negotiations.
Erdogan wants to talk to the Finnish government
Now Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan wants to speak with the Finnish government, officially “to maintain telephone diplomacy”. Then he also wants to call NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. The government in Ankara speaks of security concerns as both countries support the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party PKK and the Kurdish militia YPG, US allies, in Syria. In addition to the two Northern European countries, Germany, among others, would not act decisively enough against “terrorist organizations”.
NATO has a total of 30 member countries, among the first in 1949 were Great Britain, the US and Norway.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
