OREANDA-NEWS NATO refuses to give Russia guarantees not to deploy nuclear weapons in Sweden and Finland if they join the alliance. This was stated by Assistant Secretary General of the alliance Camille Grand, RTS reports.

When Grand was asked about any guarantees of non-deployment of nuclear weapons in Sweden and Finland, he said that each NATO member country decides "sovereignly" on the issue of nuclear weapons. "Every state has the freedom in the nuclear sphere, and is willing to accept or not to accept weapons. It is not about setting limits", he added.

The politician was also asked whether NATO expects a "military reaction" or a "show of force" from Russia in response to the entry of Finland and Sweden into the alliance. He answered that the Russians themselves consider this not necessary, and that he doesn't think it would be justified. At the same time, the Assistant Secretary General of NATO argued that Finland and Sweden have a "defensive position of peaceful states that do not seek confrontation with Russia".

Grand also expressed his hope that the disagreements between Turkey, Sweden and Finland would be settled by the summit. "NATO has its own way of dealing with the problem of terrorism. The Turks make more political demands on Finland", he noted.

Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the country's position on the question of expanding NATO and joining the alliance of Sweden and Finland will not change without fulfilling Ankara's demands. According to him, for a membership in the North Atlantic bloc, countries must stop supporting terrorism, lift sanctions against Turkey, and also show allied solidarity.