[Regnum] Statements that Sweden, Finland and the Baltic countries could allegedly become “next” after the completion of the special operation in Ukraine are absurd. This was stated by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on January 30 at a meeting with heads of diplomatic missions in a round table format on the situation around Ukraine.
"Trust me"“Today, the United States has united 54 countries into a camp that pumps Ukraine with weapons, which supplies this country with various military specialists and experts, and helps target long-range weapons. And all this is being done, among other things, so that Russia does not win. They say directly: “If Russia wins and defends its interests in this fight, then the Baltic states, Sweden, Finland will be next.” US President Joe Biden said this. The absurdity of such statements is clear to everyone. Anyone who understands the slightest bit of history and understands the goals that we have openly, without hiding, announced regarding the special military operation in Ukraine,” Lavrov said.
According to the head of the diplomatic department, Russia is eliminating the historical injustice in which Western countries are trying not just to rewrite the history of the peoples of Russia, but to turn the modern territories where Russians and other peoples of Russia have lived for centuries into a springboard that NATO, led by the United States, would use to pose threats to the security of the Russian Federation.
As Regnum reported, in early January, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said that the EU has three to five years to prepare for the fact that Russia will pose a “serious threat” to NATO’s eastern flank.
The discussion was about how soon NATO troops could be ready to confront the Russian Armed Forces. The forecast was based on a scenario in which a ceasefire agreement was signed in the conflict in Ukraine.
In addition, on January 25, the head of the Norwegian Ministry of Defense, Eirik Kristoffersen, called for preparations for war with Russia in the next three years. Kristoffersen said that Moscow is allegedly increasing its stockpiles of weapons much faster than NATO thought.
Before this, the head of the German Ministry of Defense, Boris Pistorius, made a similar statement. He called for full awareness of the danger of a direct military conflict with Russia, and therefore to arm and strengthen the Armed Forces of Germany. He emphasized that in this regard, the country will prepare a fully combat-ready German brigade by 2027, which will have to be present in the Baltic states.
The head of the NATO military committee, Rob Bauer, also called on the West to prepare for an armed conflict with Russia. According to him, in connection with the allegedly increased threat, a system is needed that will allow as many people as possible to be trained in military affairs, regardless of whether there will be hostilities or not.
In turn, in December, Russian President Vladimir Putin emphasized that the country has no reason to fight with NATO countries.
In addition, the Russian leader called the allegations about a possible Russian attack on NATO complete nonsense. He also called such statements by American leader Joe Biden a figure of speech.
At the same time, Lavrov said on December 18 that Moscow does not intend to attack NATO countries. The diplomat clarified that it is Western countries that are making Russia an enemy.