According to her, the countries made the decision not on their own, but as a result of “third party persuasion”.
Granting Finland and Sweden membership in NATO will have negative consequences for peace in northern Europe and the security of the continent in general, according to an official statement from Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
“It is unclear why our Finnish and Swedish neighbors in the Baltic region will become a new frontier in the NATO bloc's confrontation with Russia. The negative consequences for peace and stability in northern Europe are obvious, “Zakharova said in a comment posted on Russia's foreign ministry's website on Friday.
“They must also understand the consequences of such a step for bilateral relations and the European security architecture in general.”
In particular, Russia is convinced that the intensification of the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO is due to a “purposeful campaign of external forces to involve countries in the alliance.”
Why the alliance needs it – it is clear. The goal is to continue to increase military capabilities and geographical expansion, to create another flank for Russia's threats, “Zakharova said.
According to Zakharova, potential NATO membership will not strengthen the international prestige of Sweden and Finland. they will be at the forefront of NATO and “relinquish some of their sovereignty in defense and foreign policy decisions.” But Russia's large-scale invasion of Ukraine has changed everything. But is NATO ready to accept a new member? After all, although Brussels is talking about an “open door” policy, this entrance turned out to be inaccessible for Ukraine. For more information on how the Finns are trying to protect themselves from the Russian military threat, read Alina Gritsenko's article “Finland is one step away from NATO membership: what Russia will respond to.”
