No Signs of Russian Threat to Sweden or Finland, says NATO Deputy Chief
NATO’s Deputy Chief Mircea Geoana during a visit to Ukraine in August 2021. (Photo: NATO)
"We do not see signs from Russia of having the capabilities or intention at this point to be aggressive in military terms against these two aspirant countries," NATO’s Deputy Chief Mircea Geoana said.
NATO’s Deputy Chief Mircea Geoana sees no immediate military threat to Sweden and Finland from Russia and is confident that the aspiring NATO members will join the alliance despite Turkey’s objections, he told the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Friday.
This according to Reuters.
Last month, Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. However, they face opposition from Turkey, which accuses them of supporting and harboring Kurdish militants and other groups it deems terrorists.
“We are confident that Sweden and Finland will join our ranks,” Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoana said.
“Allies have concerns. And Turkey has some concerns that are legitimate when it comes to terrorists,” he added.
We can treat this period with caution in a proactive way.
Sweden and Finland have said they condemn terrorism and are open to dialogue.
Asked about security guarantees provided to Sweden and Finland in the period up until they become full-fledged members of NATO, Geoana said he did not see any real risk to the countries from Russia.
“We do not see signs from Russia of having the capabilities or intention at this point to be aggressive in military terms against these two aspirant countries,” he said.
“We can treat this period with caution in a proactive way, but we do not see real risks from a traditional military standpoint for Finland and Sweden.”
