Moscow [Russia]April 15 (ANI / Sputnik): The possible accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO threatens negative consequences for stability in northern Europe, said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.
“It is no secret that the territories of these countries have long been conquered by NATO, large-scale military exercises were carried out. Why the Alliance needs this is understandable. The goal is to continue to build military potential and geographical expansion, to create another flank for threats against Russia. “It is unclear why our Finnish and Swedish neighbors in the Baltic region need to be transformed into a new frontier between the NATO bloc and Russia. The negative consequences for peace and stability in Northern Europe are obvious,” Zakharova said in a statement.
She emphasized that these countries’ membership of NATO would not strengthen their national security.
“They will automatically be at the forefront of NATO. In addition, NATO membership in fact means relinquishing some of the sovereignty in the development of decisions in defense and foreign policy. However, this trend has shown itself long before the current situation, when EU member states, including its non-bloc countries, gradually turned into an instrument that dutifully followed the destructive attitudes of the United States and NATO, Zakharova added.
Sweden and Finland must understand the consequences of a possible NATO membership for bilateral relations with Russia, and how it will affect the European security system, she said.
“The choice is, of course, up to the authorities in Sweden and Finland. But they must also understand the consequences of such a step for our bilateral relations and the European security architecture in general, which is now in crisis,” the statement said.
A potential NATO membership will probably not contribute to strengthening Sweden’s and Finland’s international prestige, Zakharova stated.
“A potential membership of NATO is unlikely to help strengthen Sweden’s and Finland’s international prestige, which in their history led to many constructive, unifying initiatives. With the entry into the alliance, Stockholm and Helsinki will lose this opportunity,” she said. . (ANI / Sputnik)
Source: sn.dk