Russian Ambassador Threatens Finland and Sweden
The Russian ambassador in Sweden threatened that if Sweden and Finland join NATO, these two countries will become legitimate targets for Russian retaliatory actions, including military action. Viktor Tatarintsev noted in a text published on the website of the Russian Embassy in Sweden that Sweden and Finland’s membership in NATO would almost double Russia’s border with NATO. He warned that by applying for NATO membership, Sweden is taking a step towards the abyss.
Following Russia’s military attack on Ukraine, Sweden and Finland jointly applied for NATO membership. This request must be approved by all 30 NATO member countries.
Hungary has agreed to Finland’s request, and Finland only needs approval from Turkey, which Ankara has promised will happen in the near future. A spokesperson for Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently said that Turkey has no problem with Finland’s process of joining the NATO military alliance. The Turkish Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee also approved a legal bill on March 23 regarding the ratification of Finland’s accession protocol to NATO.