“We condemn the irresponsible course of the North Atlantic Alliance that is destroying European architecture, or whatever is left of it,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told reporters on Wednesday. “I have great doubts about whether the coming period will be calm for our northern European neighbors,” he added. Subscribe to the First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7 p.m. BST The decision followed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which prompted Russia’s neighbors to turn to NATO for additional security guarantees. Some have said that Russia will target countries in Eastern and Northern Europe that have condemned the war and participated in international aid and sanctions efforts. A statement issued at a NATO summit in Madrid said “the accession of Finland and Sweden will make them (allies) safer, NATO stronger and the Euro-Atlantic area safer.” But in Russia, the news was taken lightly. Konstantin Kosachev, a member of Russia’s Federal Council, said that Finland’s and Sweden’s accession to NATO “would certainly mean a deterioration in relations between the two countries and Russia”. He noted that Finland and Russia share a long land border, while Russia and Sweden have common interests in the Baltic and Barents Sea regions. “All this would certainly change for the worse, and certainly not on the initiative of Russia,” he said. “This can only become regret.” The two countries’ accession to NATO would mark the end of a decades-long status quo that saw Finland, in particular, maintain a degree of neutrality during the Cold War in order to avoid a direct confrontation with the Soviet Union. The week before the decision, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it would cut ties with a Finnish NGO and banned two Swedish organizations, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency and the Swedish Institute. In a statement, the ministry accused the organizations of “focusing on efforts to destabilize Russian society.” Tensions have risen between Russia and NATO member states in the Baltic region, raising concerns about an imminent clash between Moscow and members of the security alliance. Vladimir Jabarov, another senior lawmaker, told a Russian radio station on Wednesday that the blockade of Russia’s Kaliningrad region could lead to an “armed conflict” with Lithuania. “If we feel that this security is being violated and threatens us with the loss of our territory, of course, we will take extreme measures and nothing will stop us,” he said. Russian officials have denied the allegations in a statement issued Friday stating “Similar, baseless allegations concerning NATO members have been made more than once. “At the end, [Finland and Sweden] “They will cede part of their foreign and defense sovereignty to Washington and other so-called senior NATO partners,” Ryabkov said, calling it the “cover” for the alliance’s “aggressive intentions” towards Russia. “A new strategic concept will be adopted and Russia will be identified as a threat to the alliance. This has nothing to do with real life. it is the alliance that is a threat to us. “
