Sweden joining NATO would require return steps from Russia: foreign ministry

Sweden’s joining NATO would have military-political and foreign policy consequences that would require return steps from Russia, Maria Zakharova, the official spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry said on September 10.

“The Swedish public is being systematically enforced an idea that there is no alternative to joining NATO when it comes to the national security of Sweden. The initiators of this campaign are some political figures and NATO envoys that have been traveling to Sweden quite frequently recently, as well as some payed-for experts in the security policy,” Zakharova said.

She said Moscow has repeatedly said that the strategy of the national defense and security is the sovereign internal choice of every country. “Yet, we still believe that Sweden’s non-involvement in the military blocs is an important factor of the stability in the North of Europe,” the Russian Foreign Ministry representative said.