Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said Wednesday that Stockholm had received assurances from the US that it would get security support during a NATO application period if Sweden chooses to join the military alliance.
Both Sweden and Finland are seriously considering joining NATO and according to local media reports, are expected to hand in their applications later this month. While NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has said he expects the alliance would quickly approve their membership, there would still be an application period during which Linde said Russia could take “negative” action towards Sweden.
Linde said that the US said it would provide security “assurances” as opposed to security guarantees that NATO members receive. “Naturally, I’m not going to go into any details, but I feel very sure that now we have an American assurance,” she said after meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. “However, not concrete security guarantees, those you can only get if you are a full member of NATO.”
Linde wouldn’t specify what sort of assurances the US gave but insisted there would be some sort of US response to Russian actions. “They would mean that Russia can be clear that if they direct any kind of negative activities against Sweden, which they have threatened, it would not be something that the US would just allow to happen … without a response,” she said.
Russia has warned that it would react to Sweden and Finland joining NATO. Finland’s membership would be more provocative in the eyes of Moscow since the Finland-Russia border stretches over 800 miles. Russian officials have said they would have to deploy more forces to the border and warned of possible nuclear and hypersonic weapon deployments in the region.
Ukraine also got those” assurances” but if these two want to join nato this is the best time, Russia is bogged down and can’t do s… until Ukraine is sorted out
I think Russia could manage to get some nukes in place aimed at Stockholm and Helsinki.
Let them use the entire arsenal to target them and it will mean next to nothing. What will prevent them not opting to join nato is Russia doing some deniable ops or launching an invasion and/or launching military operations. Russia can’t do either right now.
Everyone knows that Russia ALREADY have nukes in Kaliningrad, look it up on a map.
Good for them!
Yeah, so when Dmitry Medvedev are threatening Finland and Sweden with nukes, they just laugh at him.
Empty cans make the most noise.
I hate to burst Sweden and Finland’s bubble but the US probably will not go to war with Russia if they are attacked. Like Ukraine they will serve to weaken Russia. I read that neither Finland or Sweden will risk having a referendum on NATO membership as Swedes and Finns are generally sensible.
Sweden know to many as a ship of fools wants to give up on it’s Neutrality status to become a close in target of hostilities between America and Russia.
They also do not want a referendum which would let the people decide if they want to give up security for belligerence. Politicians are the same worldwide.
Shocking. And no doubt Finland received those same “assurances”. Idiots.
And all for a non-existent Russian threat. Whence this eagerness to be a Washington boot-licker?
And this shows us that a really nice govt sponsored school system is no proof, indeed it may be a positive detriment, to an awake and aware national citizenry. In what possible way does NATO membership increase Swedens security? They were never ever in their entire long history at threat from Russia. And now, as an adversary nation, Russia must target them with their nukes, which they for sure did not previously, a huge loss to security.
However, Ms. Linde and the other Swedish supremos now will get to attend the NATO shindigs, SAAB will get to sell some planes, and money will be made by the right people, so all is well with the world. Sad days for the nation of Dag Hammarskjold …
Murdered by Allen Dulles’ CIA. And now the nation giving critical assist in sending Julian Assange to a CIA auto-de-fe.
Had an interesting conversation today with my dearest friend, a former Marine and a very wise individual.
He is convinced that WWIII is all but unavoidable. His theory is that NATO will completely surround Russia ( no doubt there) and take it upon themselves to initiate war with Russia, leaving Amerikkka free to battle China.
Sounds plausible to me. What say you, friends?
Thomas, I’d be interested to hear your opinion.