Russian Assistant Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said on Saturday that Moscow would take appropriate precautionary measures if NATO deployed nuclear infrastructure and forces near the Russian border.
Grushko added that Russia has no aggressive intentions towards Finland and Sweden, and sees no “real” reasons for the two countries to join NATO, according to the Russian news agency.
Grushko repeated the Kremlin’s previous assertion that Moscow’s response to a potential NATO expansion would depend on how the alliance would move military hardware toward Russia and the infrastructure it deployed.
The Russian foreign ministry said it was too early to talk about Russia deploying nuclear weapons in the Baltic region.
Grushko said: “The accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO will lead to the militarization of the region. This accession does not meet the interests of Sweden and Finland, nor maintain European security and stability.”
“This will only militarize the North, which until recently was the most militarily peaceful region in Europe, where the focus was on cooperation rather than competition in the military sphere. Now the picture will change radically.”
He accused NATO of pursuing a policy aimed at demonizing Russia and accusing it of carrying aggressive intentions towards certain countries, stressing that” Russia simply cannot be suspected of having such intentions.
Russia said it was not in their interests for Sweden and Finland to join NATO, stressing that the alliance would declare the need to deploy additional troops as soon as they joined.
Grushko stressed earlier that “Moscow will not stand idly by if Finland joins NATO,” stressing that its armed forces “will take all necessary measures required to ensure the legitimate interests of the defense”.
