Russia threatens 'countermeasures' after Sweden's Nato deal
The Kremlin said Tuesday that Russia's security would be jeopardised if Sweden were to become a member of the US-led Nato defence alliance, after Turkey's president approved Sweden's membership bid.
"The negative consequences are unambiguous" for Russia's security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that it was planning
countermeasures.
In a separate press event in Moscow, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that Moscow was already taking what he called "appropriate" measures to respond to Nato's imminent expansion.
Many analysts interpreted the decision of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to back Sweden's Nato bid and request renewed talks on EU membership as part of a swing back to the West, which had come partially as a result of Russia's struggles in Ukraine.
Long-time Russia and Turkey watcher Timothy Ash partially links Erdogan's shift to the revolt of Wagner, the mercenary group controlled by the former Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin.
"The Azov and drone deals over the weekend around the Zelensky visit showed that Turkey thinks, post the Prigozhin mutiny, that Ukraine will win and Putin is damaged goods and likely on his way out," Ash said.
Peskov, however, refused to criticise Turkey for backing Sweden's Nato membership, pointing out that Ankara was forced to meet the requirements placed upon it as a Nato member ad said that Russia would continue to strive to have good relations with Turkey, which has so far held back from imposing economic sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
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"The negative consequences are unambiguous" for Russia's security, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, adding that it was planning
countermeasures.
In a separate press event in Moscow, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said that Moscow was already taking what he called "appropriate" measures to respond to Nato's imminent expansion.
Many analysts interpreted the decision of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to back Sweden's Nato bid and request renewed talks on EU membership as part of a swing back to the West, which had come partially as a result of Russia's struggles in Ukraine.
Long-time Russia and Turkey watcher Timothy Ash partially links Erdogan's shift to the revolt of Wagner, the mercenary group controlled by the former Putin ally Yevgeny Prigozhin.
"The Azov and drone deals over the weekend around the Zelensky visit showed that Turkey thinks, post the Prigozhin mutiny, that Ukraine will win and Putin is damaged goods and likely on his way out," Ash said.
Peskov, however, refused to criticise Turkey for backing Sweden's Nato membership, pointing out that Ankara was forced to meet the requirements placed upon it as a Nato member ad said that Russia would continue to strive to have good relations with Turkey, which has so far held back from imposing economic sanctions on Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine.
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