Russian Foreign Minister: Russia believes that Finland and Sweden's application to join NATO is just a geopolitical measure to "contain Russia"
[Global Web Report] After Finland and Sweden successively announced that they would apply for NATO membership, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on the 17th that Moscow believes that Sweden and Finland’s decision to apply for NATO membership is nothing more than curbing Russian geopolitical moves.
"Obviously, this is a signal that the Ukrainian initiative, perhaps manifested in the transfer of licenses to us (in the talks in Turkey)," Lavrov reportedly told the "New Horizons" educational marathon. Accepting principles to make a deal, but not getting support from the West. We have information from various sources that Washington, and especially London, is guiding Ukrainian negotiators and regulating their freedom of movement.”
The Russian foreign minister also added that the West is looking to bring down the conflict because they (the West) believe that the longer the conflict lasts, the more damage Russia will suffer.
On May 15, local time, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced at a press conference at the Presidential Palace in the capital Helsinki that Finland officially decided to apply for NATO membership.
That night, Sweden's ruling Social Democratic Party also held its third internal meeting in Stockholm and formally decided to support Sweden's membership in NATO.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on the 16th that there is "no problem" between Russia and Finland and Sweden, so Finland and Sweden's membership in NATO does not pose a direct threat to Russia.
But the expansion of NATO's military infrastructure on the territories of both countries is bound to provoke a Russian response.