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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRussia now threatening Finland and Sweden if they join NATO
Link to tweet
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Finland or Sweden joining Nato would spark Russian response - Moscow warns
Russian spokesperson Maria Zakharova
A spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry has warned that the accession of either Finland or Sweden to the defence alliance Nato would spark a serious response from Moscow.
Speaking during a news briefing in Moscow, Maria Zakharova threatened if either Nordic country sought to join the security alliance it "would have serious military and political consequences that would require our country to take reciprocal steps", Russian news agencies reported.
"We regard the Finnish governments commitment to a military non-alignment policy as an important factor in ensuring security and stability in northern Europe," Zakharova said.
While Finland co-ooperates with the security alliance in some matters, and is attending today's meeting of the body in Brussels, it has not formally joined the bloc.
Last month, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said it was "very unlikely" that Finland would apply for Nato membership during her term in office.
PatSeg
(47,708 posts)OnDoutside
(19,982 posts)it on with Finland !
PatSeg
(47,708 posts)Now he is coming across as erratic and impulsive like some mad king.
uponit7771
(90,370 posts)maxrandb
(15,378 posts)almost like he lost something valuable/irreplaceable in Washington.
Amishman
(5,559 posts)Happy Hoosier
(7,454 posts)... after Russia wantonly invades a neighbor? I'm perplexed!!!!!
Celerity
(43,670 posts)We already both cooperate to a large degree with NATO anyway. (see the thread)
Carlitos Brigante
(26,509 posts)clusterfuck of epic proportions. I think it's way past time someone turn their internet infrastructure into a brick.
crickets
(25,989 posts)An Anonymous account on Twitter claimed that the group took down the website of the #Russian propaganda station RT News | http://rt.com | in response to Kremlins brutal invasion of #Ukraine. The site was back up a short time later.
The account also said it also knocked down Russian internet service providers Com2Com, PTT-Teleport Moscow, RELCOM, and Sovam Teleport. [snip]
Hackers were using the #OpRussia or #OpKremlin hashtags to announce actions against Russian sites, similar to the #OpISIS campaign that targeted the terror groups wave of online propaganda and the #OpKKK campaign that targets white supremacists.
Doesn't sound as though their efforts are terribly effective, but the annoyance factor is there.
The trouble with any substantial cyberwarfare efforts coming from government sources is that Russia could retaliate very effectively. It's likely things would get ugly quickly.
Carlitos Brigante
(26,509 posts)as there's plausible deniability from governments. I say go for it. Give them a taste of their own shit.
highplainsdem
(49,088 posts)but I think it's probably Mother F***ing Assholes.
Or maybe Militant Fascist Assholes.
TheRealNorth
(9,500 posts)But the accompanying article says Maria Zakharova is a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry.
dalton99a
(81,667 posts)The threat comes from Putin
highplainsdem
(49,088 posts)my take.
Carlitos Brigante
(26,509 posts)lagomorph777
(30,613 posts)He's off his rocker.
PortTack
(32,816 posts)Hitler May have indeed won the war, or drug it out a lot longer had he not invaded Russia!
Mr.Bill
(24,348 posts)He was in Russia and Northern Africa for oil. He certainly wasn't interested in ruling Libya.
PortTack
(32,816 posts)crickets
(25,989 posts)Emile
(23,102 posts)Has there ever been any assassination attempts?
Wounded Bear
(58,765 posts)OnlinePoker
(5,729 posts)May as well get one long frontier against NATO while he's at it. It's not like his reputation could get any worse.
Wounded Bear
(58,765 posts)peggysue2
(10,847 posts)An attempt to go after Finland or Sweden would erase any chance of avoiding WWIII.
Putin has lost it! This is beyond reckless. It's suicidal on a global scale.
Irish_Dem
(47,690 posts)He and China are planning to be the world superpowers.
Putin is showing his strength now that he has greatly weakened western democracies. He is counting on the west not wanting to start WWIII over his power grabs.
I do not think it is insanity.
I think it is a long term, well thought out plan by two ruthless leaders. Xi and Putin.
Autocratic, fascist governments trying to control the world.
VGNonly
(7,517 posts)75% of their oil and nearly 100% of natural gas comes from Russia.
Nice country, it would be a shame if you can't heat it.
Beetwasher.
(2,985 posts)Every citizen has a gun and is trained to use it and is in the reserves. They would fuck him up all by themselves.
TheRealNorth
(9,500 posts)But there are too few Finns.
The last time Russia invaded Finland:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_War#
pecosbob
(7,547 posts)He said all the former possessions of Czarist Russia never should have been granted autonomy in 1917. This includes Finland. After the invasion had begun and Putin made this ludicrous claim the Finnish president stated this would change the discussion about Finland's joining NATO.