Russia Has No Hostile Intentions Toward Finland and Sweden, Deputy Foreign Minister Grushko Says

"All this fits into the all-too-common 'search for an enemy', which entails, in practical political [and] military sense, a demonisation of Russia, assigning to [Russia] hostile intentions against some countries, while Russia absolutely cannot be suspected of such intentions" the diplomat said.

"It is well known that Finland and Sweden were among those states that most actively advocated the prohibition and total destruction of the world's nuclear weapons. But the alliance has declared itself nuclear, saying it will remain nuclear as long as there are nuclear weapons in the world. These countries will participate in the NATO Nuclear Planning Group," Grushko told reporters.

"We see that the so-called frontline states that have recently joined the alliance are the ones that are pursuing the most aggressive political course against Russia. And they are the ones who demand that the border with Russia became the border of military confrontation by pumping in contingents, weapons, stockpiles and so on," Grushko said.

"We do not see any real reasons that could motivate Finland to make such a serious strategic U-turn in the field of politics, security and defence. But we have to consider that there can be very different scenarios, including negative ones," the diplomat told reporters.

"If these statements are translated into some practical actions, which could be not only the physical relocation of US nuclear weapons on the territory of these countries, but building the infrastructure necessary to use nuclear weapons, and again, given these joint nuclear missions, which are carried out by non-nuclear weapon states in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it will of course be necessary to respond with appropriate measures of precaution that would ensure the effectiveness of [Russian] nuclear deterrence".