The candidatures of Sweden and Finland to NATO in reaction to the Russian offensive against Ukraine constitute a "
serious error
", judged Monday, May 16 the Russian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sergei Ryabkov.
LIVE - War in Ukraine: Russia focuses on Donbass
"
This is a serious additional error, the consequences of which will have far-reaching consequences
," he said, quoted by the Russian agency Interfax.
According to him, Russia's response “
will depend on the practical consequences of the accession
” of the two Scandinavian countries to the Atlantic Alliance.
"
For us, it is clear that the security of Sweden and Finland will not be strengthened by this decision
", he hammered, noting that "
the level of military tension (was going to) increase
".
Sweden's ruling Social Democratic Party gave the green light on Sunday to a NATO bid shortly after Finland's executive announced its desire to join the Western organization that Moscow sees as an existential threat .
For Helsinki and Stockholm, two countries which had never joined the Alliance even at the height of the Cold War, this reversal is the result of the Russian offensive against Ukraine, Moscow being perceived as a threat by its neighbors.
Read alsoThe accession of Finland and Sweden, a strategic transformation for NATO
Finland in particular shares some 1300 km of borders with Russia.
Moscow had, among other reasons, justified its assault on Ukraine by its rapprochement with NATO and the political, diplomatic and military support of the latter in kyiv.
The Russian authorities thus wanted to push Westerners away from its borders.
The countries of the Alliance are also supplying a quantity of arms to the Ukrainian forces which have been fighting the Russian army for nearly three months.