Swedish Ambassador: Stockholm’s membership in NATO will not be a threat to Russia

“Our joining NATO is not a confrontation with Russia, but we have seen what they have done, so we remain safe,” Swedish Ambassador Olofsdotter told a ceremony at the Brookings Institution, IRNA reported.

The Swedish ambassador to the United States added: “We are not going to be a threat to Russia more than ever because we have not been a threat to Russia now.

Olofsdotr stressed that the international community must do everything it can to ensure that Russia no longer conducts other special military operations, such as Ukraine.

He noted that it was Sweden’s policy that if Finland did so, it would seek to join NATO because security relations between the two countries are very close.

With the possibility of Sweden and Finland joining the NATO alliance, the leaders of these countries are currently in talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to seek his support for both countries to join NATO.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday night that the new Turkey would never back down from its principles and that we would not accept any country joining NATO until they met our conditions.

Erdogan had said a few days ago that unless Sweden and Finland show solidarity with Turkey against terrorism, Ankara will never take a positive stance on the two countries’ membership.

Erdogan’s remarks come as US President Joe Biden welcomed Sweden and Finland’s bid to join NATO and vowed to work with them to counter the threat.

In order to accept a new member in this military coalition, it is necessary to reach a consensus among all members; Thus, in theory, Turkey is able to prevent the accession of Sweden and Finland.