Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pointed out in his speech in Tajikistan that Finland and Sweden have practically been part of NATO for a long time. “Placing a military base or a squadron would be another matter,” he added.
Moscow
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov denies that the President Vladimir Putin would have accelerated the expansion of NATO with his actions.
“It is said in the West that Russian President VV Putin wanted to prevent NATO from expanding, but actually ‘accelerated’ it. That is not true at all,” Lavrov said on Monday in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, where he visited Russia’s 201st military base.
Finland and Sweden decided to apply for NATO membership after Russia attacked Ukraine in February last year. Finland became a member of NATO in April. Sweden’s membership still awaits the ratification of Turkey and Hungary.
Lavrov pointed out that in practice Finland and Sweden have been closely involved in NATO’s structures for a long time, even though they have not officially been members.
“These countries were neutral. But in practice, for ten years already, they have been actively involved in all the alliance’s activities: exercises, maneuvers and the program that NATO imposed on the EU a few years ago. In the event of hostilities, EU countries allow it to transport military equipment in their territory.”
Lavrov let it be understood that Russia is observing what, for example, Finland’s NATO membership will shape in practice.
“But placing a military base or a squadron is another matter. The main thing is that they [Suomi ja Ruotsi] have long been ‘crushed’ under the American-Nato manacle.”
Lavrov discussed Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO relationship towards the end of his speech in Dushanbe. The Russian Foreign Ministry published Lavrov’s speech on its website on Monday evening. The topic has been reported in Russia by, among others Kommersant and Lenta.ru.
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