After Finland on Thursday, Sweden has, in turn, taken a big step towards NATO membership, a direct consequence of Russian aggression against Ukraine.
A report presented on Friday multiplies the conclusions favorable to entry into the organization before the decision of the Nordic country expected in the coming days.
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This
"would raise the threshold for triggering military conflicts and thus have a deterrent effect"
, concludes the text prepared by the government and the parties in Parliament.
Faced with threats from Moscow, which brandishes the risk of “
consequences
” in the event of a rapprochement with NATO, the Swedish Foreign Minister, Ann Linde, estimated that
“we would not suffer a conventional military attack in reaction”
.
Attempt to break through to Kramatorsk
For Russia, this announcement, certainly expected, is a new setback after the President and Prime Minister of Finland - with which it shares 1,300 kilometers of border - said on Thursday that they were in favor of joining the EU
"without delay"
. NATO.
The process should be finalized on Sunday.
“Being a member of NATO would make Finland more secure
,” they explained.
Again, the spokesman for the Kremlin threatened, referring to the taking of “military-technical” measures, without managing to create doubt.
Friday the Kremlin announced to suspend the supply of electricity to Finland.
The secretary general of the organization, Jens Stoltenberg, hailed the will of the Finnish leaders while Paris and Berlin “supported” Helsinki.
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“Joining NATO: a historic turning point for Sweden and Finland”
On the front, the Russian army continued Friday to put pressure, in the east, on Donbass.
The British Ministry of Defense noted
"significant efforts"
in the Izium and Siverodonetsk regions to make a breakthrough towards Kramatorsk, the major city in Donbass under Ukrainian control.
On the other fronts, the situation does not seem to have changed significantly.
Sign of the Russian difficulties, the failure suffered, on May 8, while trying to cross on a movable bridge the river Donest, near Severodonetsk.
The destruction of the structure and the Ukrainian counter-attack caused the loss of at least 50 armored vehicles.
Heavy fighting continues around Serpents' Island, off Odessa, captured by the Russians on the first day of the war.
In kyiv, the government is also active on the judicial side.
Vadim Chichimarine, 21, a Russian army sergeant suspected of killing an unarmed 62-year-old man, appeared in handcuffs for the preliminary hearing on Friday.
The trial date is set for May 18.
Read also
The race of the Nordic countries towards NATO
Diplomatically, kyiv also reaps successes.
The foreign ministers of the G7 countries, meeting until Saturday in northern Germany, showed their support for Ukraine on Friday "
until victory
".
But this does not seem to reassure Volodymyr Zelensky.
In an interview on Italian television, the Ukrainian president criticized Emmanuel Macron for trying "
in vain
" to dialogue with Vladimir Putin, judging
it "not correct"
that the French president was ready, according to him, to
"make diplomatic concessions to
Russia
.
The Élysée defended itself, saying that
“it was up to the Ukrainians to decide the terms of their negotiation with the Russians”
.