War in Ukraine: Finland and Sweden joining NATO would have “consequences”, warns Moscow – Le Figaro

Helsinki and Stockholm are considering joining the Atlantic Alliance in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. NATO membership of Sweden and Finland would have consequences for these countries and European security, warned Friday, April 15 the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Read alsoUkraine: Moscow points out differences with NATO These countries “must understand the consequences of such a measure for our bilateral relations and for the European security architecture as a whole”, said ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova, in a statement. Reaction to the Russian offensive “Being a member of NATO cannot strengthen their national security. De facto, (Finland and Sweden) will be the first line of NATO”, she further indicated. Helsinki and Stockholm are considering joining the Atlantic Alliance in response to the Russian military offensive against Ukraine. Already on Thursday, the former Russian president and current number two of the Russian Security Council Dmitry Medvedev affirmed that if Finland or Sweden joined NATO, Russia would strengthen its military means, particularly nuclear ones, in the Baltic Sea and near Scandinavia. Finland, which has some 1,300 km of border with Russia, will decide “within a few weeks” on a candidacy for NATO, according to its Prime Minister. Sweden does not rule out joining the Western military alliance either, but seems more in the background than its neighbour. Read alsoWar in Ukraine: the Russian cruiser Moskva sank, after being damaged at sea Russia considers the Alliance a threat, and its offensive in Ukraine was notably justified by the Kremlin by kyiv’s Atlanticist ambitions and Western political and military policy to this neighbor of Russia. SEE ALSO – NATO: Finland will decide “rather quickly” on a candidacy, more and more likely