Ben Wallace warns Russia that Britain would support Finland and Sweden if attacked
Ben Wallace warns Putin, Britain would support Finland and Sweden in case of Russian invasion, even if they do not join NATO when he visits troops in the Baltic Sea
- The Minister of Defense spoke after Scandinavian states were threatened by Moscow
- Both have expressed a desire to join NATO since Russia invaded Ukraine
- Reports suggest they may apply before the end of May, despite Kremlin threats
Vladimir Putin was warned today that Britain would come to the aid of Finland and Sweden if he attacked them – whether they join NATO or not.
Defense Minister Ben Wallace said it was “unthinkable” that Britain would not “support” the Scandinavian states, which have been threatened by Moscow.
Finland and its neighbor Sweden have expressed a desire to join the military pact since Putin began his wild invasion of Ukraine in February.
Reuters reported this week that Helsinki will formally announce its offer to join Sweden on May 12 after a trial days later.
Flanking his Finnish counterpart Antti Kaikkonen on a visit to Finland to see British troops take part in military exercises, Wallace said: “It is inconceivable that Britain would not support Finland or Sweden if it was ever attacked – without any major formalities. agreement.
Defense Minister Bern Wallace said it was “unthinkable” that Britain would not “support” the Scandinavian states, which have been threatened by Moscow.
Finland and its neighbor Sweden have expressed a desire to join the military pact since Putin began his wild invasion of Ukraine in February.
“We are European countries that share the same values, which have a deep, long history, a significant number of the British population seems to be descended from Vikings.
“We have that cultural link. I can not imagine a time when we would not come to support Finland and Sweden, no matter where they were with the NATO debate and where they are with agreements.
“Whatever happens to Finland’s NATO ambitions, that it is entirely Finland’s freedom to choose, and we are here to support their freedom of choice and not let any other nation tell them what to do with it. valet. ”
Finland and Sweden have historically avoided NATO membership, despite close cooperation with the West, in an attempt not to provoke Russia.
Both have been militarily non-aligned since World War II. Sweden had maintained its policy of neutrality – which had begun in the early 19th century – throughout the war and wanted to avoid being drawn into a conflict that was engulfing the neighboring powers Germany and the Soviet Union.
Instead, they earned their neutrality by exporting iron ore to the Nazis and sharing military intelligence with the Allies and training refugee soldiers.
Meanwhile, Finland changed sides in the conflict, first being invaded by Joseph Stalin and helping the Nazis, before fighting Hitler’s troops. It was formerly part of the Russian Empire and gained independence during the Russian Revolution of 1917.
When NATO was formed in 1949 for a Western military alliance, Sweden decided not to join and continue its neutrality, and introduced a security policy that ensured its freedom of alliance in peace and neutrality in war.
In 1994, Stockholm decided to join NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program, which aimed to build trust between member states and other European countries, but so far it has not signaled a desire to fully join the alliance.
Finland is also a PfP member but has similarly expressed its desire to remain neutral since the war.
Moscow’s legislator Vladimir Dzhabarov recently warned Finland that a formal application would mean “destruction of the country”, while another Kremlin spokesman Alexander Grushko threatened with “the most undesirable consequences”.
But Putin’s invasion has decisively changed public opinion in the Scandinavian countries after Russia began the war with a torrent of rhetoric about stopping NATO expansion.
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