Russia warns of reprisals for possible threats from Sweden and Finland after joining NATO
A deputy spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry warned on July 6 that Moscow will undoubtedly retaliate against any obstacles that Sweden or Finland may have after their accession to NATO. Sweden’s and Finland’s accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would be “one step closer to the escalation of political and military tensions in Europe”, warned the Russian diplomat, adding that it would “worsen things for the Baltic and Arctic regions.”
“While preparing to join NATO, Helsinki and Stockholm should realize the consequences this could have. Russia would inevitably react to any action that (Nordic) countries may take to pose a threat to it,” Alexey Zaitsev said at a press conference.
According to Zaitsev, there will be significantly less potential for peaceful co-operation, which is in great demand in the Nordic region. He went on to say that Helsinki and Stockholm must obey NATO’s Brussels, or more specifically Washington, directives. According to the diplomat, Washington used the NATO summit in Madrid to show “who is the boss”.
The Russian diplomat lamented that the two independent Nordic countries “which have made a significant contribution to the development of important military security elements after the Cold War actually agreed to share the same fate as NATO’s periphery near the front lines, are actually drawn into someone else’s geopolitical game against Russia. . “
Finland and Sweden concluded accession negotiations at NATO Headquarters
On 4 July, Finland and Sweden concluded accession talks at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. Talks were held between NATO officials and representatives from the two countries, according to a NATO statement, with the Finnish delegation led by Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto and Defense Minister Antti Kaikkonen, and the Swedish delegation led by Foreign Minister Ann Linde.
To complete the official procedures, representatives from the 30 NATO member countries signed the Accession Protocols of Sweden and Finland on 5 July, in accordance with the decision taken at the NATO Summit in Madrid. For many years, Sweden and Finland contented themselves with cooperating with NATO without joining the military alliance. But after Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine in February, the situation in Europe changed, and these two historically neutral countries applied to join NATO.