Finland hints at Russia’s involvement in Koran-burning protests in Sweden
Finland’s foreign minister hinted that Russia may have been involved in last week’s Koran-burning protest that threatens to derail Sweden’s accession to NATO.
Rasmus Paludan, a far-right activist with dual Danish and Swedish citizenship, burned Islam’s holy book in central Stockholm, leading Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to exclude support Sweden’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
Paludan’s potential ties to Russia have been “investigated and some connections close to him have been found,” Finland’s Pekka Haavisto said in an interview on YLE TV1 on Saturday, without confirming Russian involvement.
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The episode “raises the question of whether some third party is trying to stir the pot – for example, Russia – or any other party that opposes NATO membership and wants to provoke in order to achieve it. This is inexcusable,” Haavisto said.
Sweden’s government has not publicly commented on any connection between Paludan and Russia, but Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noted this week “forces that may want to keep the nation out of the military alliance.”
– There are forces both inside and outside Sweden that want to prevent Sweden’s membership in NATO, Kristersson said. “It is against this background that we need to see the provocateurs who want to worsen Sweden’s relations with other countries.”
Turkey and Hungary are the only two of NATO’s 30 members that have not yet ratified Finland’s and Sweden’s applications.
Erdogan’s comments cast doubt on Sweden’s prospects of joining the alliance. With an election expected to be held in mid-MayErdogan aims to burnish his support among Turkey’s religious conservatives.
“The general view is that Turkey is taking a time-out for Sweden’s accession to NATO and that it is possible to return to the subject after the elections in May,” Haavisto said, adding that none of the Nordic countries’ entry has been permanently blocked.
It is “unlikely that Finland would join the defense alliance before Sweden”, he said. after presenting such a possibility earlier this week.
While formal talks between the three countries have been halted, Finland remains in contact with Turkey, Haavisto said, adding that he talks to his counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu “every time something happens on the international stage.”
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