2024-04-05T05:54:02+00:00
A-
A
A+
/ On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry considered Sweden’s plans to establish a NATO base on the island of Gotland a “provocative activity,” while noting that these efforts would turn the Baltic Sea into an arena for geopolitical confrontation.
A source in the ministry said: “The Russian side has warned many times of the risks arising from NATO’s use of the territories of the new member states in Northern Europe for military purposes.”
The Russian diplomat pointed out that “NATO seeks to increase its military potential in the Baltic region,” adding: “In this context, Stockholm intends to strengthen the “strategically important” island of Gotland, in order to improve defense against the imaginary “Russian threat.”
The source stressed that Stockholm restored its military presence on Gotland in 2015, and in April of last year, before joining NATO, as Swedish forces trained to “confront an armed attack” during exercises on the island.
The source added: “With the aim of confronting threats in the northern direction, the Leningrad Military District has been re-established… Other decisions will be taken to ensure Russia’s security depending on developments in the situation.”
On March 11, the Swedish flag was raised at NATO headquarters, marking Stockholm’s official accession to the alliance as the thirty-second member.