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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsExplained: How might Russia react to Sweden and Finland joining Nato?
One of the big unknowns of Sweden's Nato process is how Russia will respond. We run through the options.https://www.thelocal.se/20220519/explained-how-might-russia-react-to-sweden-and-finland-joining-nato/
https://web.archive.org/web/20220520015807/https://www.thelocal.se/20220519/explained-how-might-russia-react-to-sweden-and-finland-joining-nato/
Swedens rush towards membership of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), arguably starts with the draft treaty Russia published on December 17th, which sought to bar Sweden and Finland from joining the alliance by demanding that the US undertake to prevent its further eastward expansion. Five months later, this gambit has backfired completely: Russia has ended up creating the very situation it sought to prevent.
So what will Russia do?
The Swedish governments report assessing Nato membership concluded last week that Russia would react negatively to a Swedish Nato membership. Nato does not seek confrontation with Russia, nor does it constitute a threat to Russia, the report claims. In recent years, however, Russia has chosen to increasingly view Nato as a geopolitical competitor and opposes the addition of new members. For Russias part, Swedish membership would be described as Nato advancing its position.
How has Russia reacted so far?
In the months running up to Swedens and Finlands Nato decision, Russian officials warned repeatedly that the two countrys joining Nato would have negative consequences. Russias former president Dmitry Medvedev in mid-April warned of nuclear escalation. If this is done, no non-nuclear status of the Baltic will be possible, he said. The balance must be restored.
The result for Sweden and Finland, he continued, would be nuclear-armed Russian ships just arms length from their homes. Russias Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned on Monday that the two countries decision to join the Nato was a grave mistake with far-reaching consequences and that the general level of military tensions will increase.
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TheRealNorth
(9,435 posts)Before they invaded Ukraine.
iemanja
(53,003 posts)They feel threatened by the expansion of NATO, but their invasion of the Ukraine has prompted more countries to join. Their war in the Ukraine has directly undermined their foreign policy goals.
As to what they will do, I don't think they can do much about it. They don't have the military strength to attack other countries in addition to the Ukraine.
Tickle
(2,466 posts)he won't be congratulating them.
a little humor
Submariner
(12,485 posts)is if someone internally can kill Putin soon, or even better if he died from his cancer, or other natural cause.
Then someone has to release Navalny and let him make a bid to be president without a Putinista putting their thumb on the scale, or just killing him.
If they don't take a chance from coming out from under this fantasy return of the Russian Empire dream, and remain the scourge of the planet, then we will probably eventually observe the 1.5 Billion Chinese annex the lowly 140 Million Russians as their permanent gas station pump attendants to the north.