Former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen MOSCOW, Jan 15Finland and Sweden will be able to join NATO the day after the request is submitted, discussion of this topic may begin in countries in the event of an escalation in Ukraine, said former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. .).we will be able to make a decision instantly. You can become a member the very next day, because you meet all the necessary membership criteria,» the former NATO Secretary General told the Finnish public broadcaster Yle. According to him, Russia during negotiations with NATO representatives in Europe demanded to «veto the expansion» of the bloc. «The doors of NATO will remain open, and we do not want (Russian President — ed.) Vladimir Putin to act as a doorman … I think that the Russian attack will provoke discussion in Finland and Sweden regarding entry in NATO … so the cost of attacking Ukraine would be extremely high for Putin,» he stressed.
Lavrov said that security proposals are not a menu. At the same time, he stated that he did not believe that the Russian Federation would “attack” Ukraine. On Friday, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said that the country had no plans to join NATO yet. Russia has repeatedly rejected the accusations the West and Ukraine in «aggressive actions», stating that they are not threatening anyone and are not going to attack anyone, and statements about «Russian aggression» are used as an excuse to place more NATO military equipment near Russian borders. The Russian Foreign Ministry previously noted that Western statements about «Russian aggression» and the possibility of helping Kiev defend itself against it are both ridiculous and dangerous. At the same time, Kiev and Western states have recently expressed concern about the alleged increase in «aggressive actions» sides of Russia near the borders of Ukraine. Press Secretary of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Peskov said that Russia is moving troops within its territory and at its own discretion. According to him, this does not threaten anyone and should not worry anyone
Finland has no plans to join NATO, the Foreign Minister said
