Russia will bolster its north-west flank if Nato bases do materialise, its top diplomat has said
Moscow will need to increase its “Abilities” in the northwest if NATO facilities appear in Finland and Sweden, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has said. The top diplomat made the comments on Thursday while meeting students and staff at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).
“If [NATO] bases are created on the territory of Finland and Sweden, or rather, if they decide to create these bases for them – I am convinced that the Americans will have the key word … Depending on how all this materializes, of course, we will to make a decision to strengthen our capabilities in Russia’s northwest.” Lavrov said without giving any further details.
In any case, a launch of NATO bases on the territory of the two Nordic nations would “radically” expand “contact line” between Russia and the alliance, the minister added.
Finland and Sweden sought to join the US-led bloc earlier this year, citing the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. While formally maintaining a neutral status for decades, the two Nordic nations have worked closely with the military alliance for a long time now.
The accession process stalled after a major NATO country, Turkey, opposed plans to accept Sweden and Finland. Ankara accused the two countries of acting as “guest house for terrorist organizations” and hosting members of banned Kurdish groups it deems to be “terrorists”.
The deadlock was finally resolved in June during the NATO summit in Madrid after a series of intensive negotiations. Turkey agreed to formally support Stockholm and Helsinki joining the military bloc on the condition that they crack down on groups Ankara considers to be “terrorists” and address other bilateral issues, such as an arms embargo. Considerations on how exactly the agreement should be implemented are still ongoing, however.