Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that Sweden and Finland’s candidacy to join NATO in response to Russia’s attack on Ukraine was a “grave mistake”.
“This is an additional serious mistake that will have far-reaching consequences,” the deputy minister said, according to the Interfax news agency. said.
Riabkov explained that Russia’s response would “depend on the practical consequences” of the two Scandinavian countries joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
“It is clear to us that the security of Sweden and Finland will not be strengthened by this decision,” he said, emphasizing that “tension will increase”.
For Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, NATO membership of Finland and Sweden does not increase security in Europe.
“We are not convinced that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO will strengthen or improve the security architecture on our continent,” he said.
On Sunday, Sweden’s ruling Social Democratic Party approved NATO membership, hours after the Finnish government announced its desire to join the organization, which it sees as a threat to Russia’s existence.
For Finland and Sweden, which had not joined the Alliance even during the Cold War, the change of direction was a result of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, as Moscow was perceived as a threat by its neighbors.
Finland, in particular, shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia.
Russia, among other allegations, justified the attack on Ukraine because of its rapprochement with NATO and the organization’s political, diplomatic and military support to the Ukrainian government. In this way, Moscow aimed to drive the Westerners away from its borders.
Allied countries are also supplying large quantities of weapons to the Ukrainian forces, which have been fighting the Russian army for nearly three months.
source: Noticias
