Russian Ambassador warns Finland and Sweden about joining NATO

“Finland and Sweden will be forced to see Russia as an opponent. On the contrary, Russia will have to change its view of countries that used to be neutral,” Mr. Stepanov said in an interview. with Sputnik news agency.

According to the Russian ambassador, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the West made a dangerous choice about the future model of security and stability.

After the end of the Cold War, the United States and its allies passed up the opportunity to undo the divisions that existed in Europe and create a comprehensive, indivisible security framework in Europe. With equal guarantees for each country stretching from Vancouver (Canada) to Vladivostok (Russia), Washington policymakers have instead opted to expand NATO and ignore security concerns of Russia,” said Stepanov.

The Russian ambassador to Canada warned that NATO expansion, especially the possible accession of Finland and Sweden, would only exacerbate tensions. “No matter what NATO claims, it is still an act to bring the nuclear threat to Russia’s doorstep,” Stepanov said. “The acceptance of Helsinki and Stockholm to NATO will also expand the border between this alliance with Russia to more than 1300km. At that time, our friendly neighbors will suddenly realize that their region is being caught up in a spiral of tension between NATO and Russia.”

Ambassador Stepanov emphasized that Moscow always respects Sweden and Finland’s tradition of non-military alignment and the stable coexistence with Russia. However, the US and NATO are using a variety of tactics to entice these two countries to abandon the policy of peaceful coexistence, and turn Northern Europe from a non-aligned, stable, and prosperous military zone into one. where there is a risk of conflict.

Mr. Stepanov also noted that Finland and Sweden need to evaluate the situation carefully before making a decision on joining NATO, because such decisions cannot be reversed. “Do Finland and Sweden really want to be drawn into geopolitical tensions between the US and the West and Russia? We are all neighbors, so the price to pay for the responsibility of our three countries will be much higher than the ideology from Washington,” the ambassador told Sputnik.

Finland and Sweden have begun discussing the possibility of abandoning their traditional neutral status and joining NATO, amid Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine. According to US officials, Sweden is expected to formally submit its application to join NATO at the end of June, while Finland could make a similar decision as soon as this month.

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