Russia’s Perspective on Finland and Sweden’s NATO Path
A political analyst from Lentoy.ru, Dmitry Levy, points out that Moscow has long considered Finland and Sweden part of a hostile alignment due to their close ties with NATO. He argues that signing documents related to their accession to the alliance will not alter this fundamental assessment.
Levy notes that Moscow did not feel surprised by the current developments. He cites examples like Kyrgyzstan’s decision to participate in NATO activities as a case showing that these moves did not fundamentally shock Russia. According to him, Finland and Sweden have maintained extensive information exchange with NATO, including intelligence sharing, which he believes effectively places them within the North Atlantic Alliance in Moscow’s view.
The analyst also forecasts how the Kremlin might respond to the expansion of the bloc. He predicts that after this milestone is reached, diplomatic statements will proliferate describing the step as an escalation that undermines regional stability. Yet he stresses that, in his assessment, the reaction will largely be limited to rhetoric and formal statements.
Hulusi Akar, the former minister of national defense, has stated that Finland and Sweden have not yet taken concrete steps to satisfy Ankara’s conditions for NATO membership.
Earlier, Turkey, Finland, and Sweden signed a tripartite memorandum intended to ease the path for NATO membership. The agreement touched on lifting certain restrictions in Turkey related to the defense sector and easing bans on activities by organizations that Ankara designates as terrorist.
Finland and Sweden submitted applications for NATO membership in May. The move did not enjoy the backing of Hungary or Turkey from the outset, with each raising concerns through the process. [attribution: discussion with Dmitry Levy, Lentoy.ru; contextual reporting on subsequent Turkish and Finnish-Swedish negotiations]