Chairman of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation Valentina Matvienko. Archival photoMOSCOW, May 19.The entry of Sweden and Finland into NATO may lead to a decrease in the volume of cooperation between Russia and these countries, says Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko.
" the decision of the two states can lead to a decrease in the volume of our interaction and cooperation", she said in an interview published on Iz.ru.
According to the speaker, such a decision to join NATO can only be regretted, since between Russia and Finland has been successfully developing mutually beneficial cooperation for many years and decades. On May 15, the ruling Social Democratic Party of Sweden announced its decision to apply for NATO membership, noting that Sweden, if approved, would oppose the deployment of nuclear weapons and military bases on its territory. Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson said that joining NATO would have a positive impact on the security of the country and the Swedish people. On Sunday, Finland also officially decided to join the North Atlantic Alliance.