Will Sweden and Finland have consequences? “They also made a promise to Gorbachev” – WorldEnglish
Sweden and Finland joining NATO is their choice, but those countries must understand the consequences it will have for their relations with Russia, said Leonid Slutsky
Source: Tanjug
EPA-EFE / Kiko Huesca
The leader of Russia’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) and chairman of the State Duma’s Committee on International Affairs also stated on the Telegram channel that the North Atlantic Alliance, led by the United States, has consistently sought to get closer to Russia’s borders. , while the mantra of its defensive nature was a “smoke screen”.
“For Russia, NATO’s expansion to the east did not begin with the alliance inviting Sweden and Finland to join, but by breaking the promises once made to the Soviet Union,” the Russian envoy said.
Slutsky said that since then there have been several such waves, which “from time to time have raised new concerns about ensuring security and national interests” for Russia.
“If I were in Turkey’s place, I would not be too carried away by the assurances I received in exchange for not vetoing the entry of Finns and Swedes into NATO. Gorbachev was also promised something once,” Slutsky said. Finland and Sweden submitted their candidacies to join NATO on 18 May.
They would have been invited to join the bloc’s summit in Madrid, but Turkey’s veto blocked the process. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg held talks on 28 June in Madrid.
As a result, Turkey withdrew its veto, and then the three sides signed a memorandum paving the way for Sweden and Finland to join NATO. In return, the ban on arms sales to Ankara was lifted and the parties promised to fight terrorism, according to TASS.