criticism of expansion
Kremlin accuses NATO of “aggressive containment of Russia”.
06/29/2022, 2:37 p.m
For two days in Madrid, the NATO countries will discuss a new strategy for the military alliance. Criticism from Russia was not long in coming: the summit “consolidates the course of aggressive containment of Russia,” it says. The planned expansion is of no use to anyone.
Russia sees the current NATO summit as confirmation of the aggressive stance of the western military alliance. “The Madrid summit consolidates the course of aggressive containment of Russia” by the military alliance, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said, according to Russian news agencies. He described the expansion of the alliance to include Finland and Sweden as a “purely destabilizing factor in international affairs”.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had previously described Russia as a “direct threat” to the security of the Western military coalition on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Madrid. US President Joe Biden announced that the US will “strengthen its military position in Europe”. “Putin wanted the Finnishization of Europe. He will get the NATOization of Europe,” says Biden.
“This does not strengthen the security of those who expand, nor that of those who join, nor that of those who see the alliance as a threat,” Ryabkov said of the planned NATO expansion. Because of the Russian military offensive in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden have applied to join NATO. The accession talks with both countries are to be decided in Madrid, after which all 30 NATO members must ratify the accession. Turkey had previously given up its blockade on enlargement in a joint statement with Finland and Sweden.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a speech to the heads of state and government of the NATO countries that his country needs more weapons and more money to be able to defend itself against Russia. He warned that the Moscow government’s ambitions would not stop at Ukraine’s borders. Russia is fighting to dictate the framework conditions in Europe.