“It is necessary to respond … to take appropriate precautions to ensure deterrence,” Interfax news agency quoted Glushko as saying.
Glushko said Russia had no intention of being hostile to Finland and Sweden, and did not see a “real” reason for the two countries to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
 |
|
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Glushko Reuters |
He also reiterated earlier Kremlin statements that Moscow’s response to NATO expansion will depend on how far the alliance moves its military power toward Russia, as well as its infrastructure. What is the level of NATO deployment.
Russia has always opposed and tried to prevent NATO’s eastward expansion, seeing it as a threat to Russian security. One of Russia’s initial stated goals when it launched its military campaign in Ukraine was to ensure that Kyiv remained neutral, not NATO.
However, Sweden and Finland, two Nordic countries that are adamantly non-members of NATO, reversed their stance on security concerns following the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine. Sweden shares no border with Russia, and despite being on the Baltic coast with a long coastline, Finland shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Russia.
Sweden and Finland both signaled their determination to join NATO this week. Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said that Sweden’s membership in NATO will play a role in preventing conflicts in northern Europe. In Helsinki, leaders announced that the country must “immediately” apply to join NATO.