The Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Russian ambassador because of the Russian embassy’s statements about the former Swedish soldier Edward Selander Patrignani, who died in Ukraine.
“The Foreign Ministry plans to call a representative from the Russian embassy this week,” the ministry said.
Oppression Dagens Nyheter He states that the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs initially did not plan to call a diplomat, but later decided to do so “next week”. The position of Russian Ambassador to Sweden is held by Viktor Tatarintsev.
“The Russian Ambassador was summoned to the Swedish Foreign Ministry today. That was the decision of the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Due to our comment, yes, ”the Russian diplomatic mission commented on the ambassador’s call. The embassy told TASS that they could not comment on the details of the meeting.
What did the Russian embassy write
The Russian Embassy in Sweden posted a comment on social media on July 25. The Swedish media focused on articles about the death of 28-year-old Edward Selander Patrignani, a former member of the Swedish Armed Forces who joined the Ukrainian army. Swedish media wrote that he volunteered in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“It is deeply regrettable that journalists, when preparing material on the personality of a former officer of the Swedish Armed Forces, once again forget the basic principle of their profession and instead try to create a positive and highly moral image. this is an ordinary mercenary,” wrote the Russian embassy.
The diplomatic mission commentary also said Patrignani “got what he deserved” and is a criminal under international law.
Foreigners participating in clashes alongside the Ukrainian army were called “war dogs” in the message. Diplomats also wrote that if foreign soldiers “do not repeat the sad fate of Patrignani”, they are likely to be prosecuted in the DPR and LPR, who “won’t be slow to sentence all mercenaries to long prison sentences to the death penalty.”
Swedish parties outraged
The Swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter writes that all parties in the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) believe that the government should oppose the publication of the Russian embassy. Both Liberals and Sweden Democrats asked Foreign Minister Ann Linde in writing if she would consider responding to the above statements.
The deputies saw the publication of Russian diplomats as pressure on Sweden and the right of the Swedes to support the Ukrainians.
Liberal spokesman Yuar Forsel described the Russian diplomatic mission’s comment as “part of Russia’s psychological attack on Sweden”. According to him, such comments emphasize that “Russia sees an enemy in Sweden.”
“What the Russian embassy did is terrible. How do they use the name of this murdered Swedish soldier in their propaganda, how do they make fun of him,” he said.
The embassy’s comment was criticized by the Center Party as well as the Christian Democrats and Greens.
“A private person who voluntarily fights for freedom and democracy is attacked. “The embassy’s text also affects his grieving family,” said Aron Emlsson, spokesperson for the Sweden Democrats.
“Every Swede has the right to support Ukraine as he sees fit,” said Center Party spokesman Kerstin Lundgren.
Tobias Bilström, leader of the parliamentary coalition of moderates, described criticizing the embassy as “completely natural”. According to him, the government should also raise the issue of “spies” from Russia in Sweden and “deport them more than ever”.
Swedish media also drew attention to the statements of Russian diplomats. Thus, the Expressen newspaper came out with the headline “The Russian Embassy mocked the Swede who died in Ukraine”.
Relations between Russia and Sweden deteriorated after the start of the Russian Federation’s military operation in Ukraine. In April, the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the expulsion of three Russian diplomats who, according to the ministry, were working “not in compliance with the Vienna Convention”. Russia later declared three employees of the Swedish embassy persona non grata as a retaliatory measure.
How did the Swedish soldier die?
The fact that Patrignani died in Ukraine on July 18 was reported to Politico by the “commander of the foreign fighters” of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Ruslan Miroshnichenko. The next day, news appeared in the Swedish media that a 28-year-old lieutenant, who previously served for the kingdom’s BBC in Uppsala, had died near Kharkov. The man was injured by fragments of a grenade in his chest.
In June, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that more than 3,000 foreign mercenaries, mostly from Poland, Canada and the United States, were fighting on the Ukrainian side. During the military operation, the Ministry repeatedly reported that mercenary training centers were destroyed.
On February 27, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the creation of an “international legion”, which should consist of “foreign volunteers”.