OREANDA-NEWS. The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, believes that statements about the “Russian threat” to Sweden and Finland lie in the mainstream of propaganda and provocation.

“These statements are stupid. They are not based on facts, they are in line with propaganda and provocation. They do not meet the interests of the peoples of these countries and provide and serve the interests of the collective North Atlantic Alliance under the leadership of the United States, ”she said on the Sputnik radio station.

Earlier, Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde said that the country is considering all the possibilities of relations with NATO and is discussing this issue with colleagues from Finland. The minister also announced the inadmissibility of Moscow threatening Stockholm and Helsinki in any way.

According to media reports, Sweden and Finland may apply for NATO membership in the summer. If this happens, they will probably be accepted into the alliance rather quickly, as NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier.

And although, as noted earlier, this does not pose an existential threat to Russia, Moscow will have to respond to this step. What could be the reaction of Russia and what is the likelihood of these countries joining NATO - in the material of "Gazeta.Ru".
The issue of Sweden and Finland joining NATO has been discussed especially actively for the past month and a half against the backdrop of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. There are no clear plans for integration into the alliance of countries now, but, according to The Times, citing sources, the authorities of Sweden and Finland are ready to join NATO this summer.

Unnamed US officials say the countries' membership in the military-political bloc was "a topic of conversation and numerous meetings" during NATO foreign ministers' talks last week. They were attended by representatives of Sweden and Finland.