Finland and Sweden will become “legitimate targets” of Russia’s “retaliatory” measures once they become members of NATO, the Russian ambassador in Stockholm warned on Tuesday, resuming Moscow’s menacing rhetoric.

“After the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, “the total length of Russia’s border with NATO will almost double,” Ambassador Viktor Tatarintsev said in a lengthy text posted on the website of the Russian diplomatic mission in Sweden.

“If anyone still thinks that this will somehow improve the security of Europe, rest assured that the new members of the hostile alliance will become legitimate targets of Russian countermeasures, including military measures,” the Russian diplomat said.

The warning came as Moscow emerged in recent months to put aside threats to the capitals of the two Scandinavian countries following their May 2022 decision to apply to join the Atlantic alliance.

The nominations, which closed the chapter of decades of neutrality, were characterized as a direct consequence of the invasion of Russian military forces into the territory of Ukraine.

Finland, a country bordering Russia, is currently awaiting ratification by the Turkish parliament of its promised admission to NATO by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

As for Sweden, her candidacy is currently facing a veto from Ankara and a delay in her ratification by the Hungarian parliament.

However, Stockholm is still hoping to secure its membership before the next NATO summit in July in Vilnius.

Public opinion has changed dramatically in favor of joining the Atlantic Alliance since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with opinion polls showing more than 80% support in Finland and about two-thirds in Sweden.

But for the Russian ambassador in Sweden…who was born in Kherson, in today’s Ukraine-, Swedentakes a step towards the abyss» the decision to join NATO.

Criticizing, among other things, that the decision was announced “hastily” without a referendum, he stressed the danger that the NATO command “decides to become fully involved in the conflict.”

“In this case, the Swedes will undoubtedly be drawn (into the war) and sent to death for the interests of others,” added Mr. Tatarintsev.

Biden’s concern

For his part, US President Joe Biden on Tuesday dismissed his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin’s statement about the development of “tactical” nuclear weapons in Belarus as “dangerous.”

“These are dangerous words, they are alarming,” the US President told reporters at the White House.

Putin announced on Saturday that Moscow would “regularly” deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of its neighboring ally Belarus, on the doorstep of the European Union.

The announcement comes more than a year after the Russian military invaded Ukraine, which neighbors Russia and Belarus, and since the Ukrainian military has so far been able to contain Russia’s advance.

On Sunday, however, Washington said it had “no indication” that a nuclear weapon had been developed. “They haven’t done it yet,” Joe Biden repeated on Tuesday, referring to the Russians.

Source: RES-IPE