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Russia warned Finland, Sweden of consequences of joining NATO, diplomat says

Under the auspices of the US, Brussels has been pulling Sweden and Finland into its structures for a while, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointed out

MOSCOW, April 20. /TASS/. Russia warned Sweden and Finland about the consequences of their possible accession to NATO, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told the Russia-24 TV channel on Wednesday.

"Under the auspices of the US, Brussels has been pulling Sweden and Finland into its structures for a while, there have been various hybrid measures on the actual pulling in, under the guise of drills or training sessions," she said. "We made all our warnings - both publicly and via bilateral channels. They know about this, so there are no surprises. They were informed about everything, what it will lead to," the diplomat added.

Earlier, The Times newspaper, citing its sources, reported that Helsinki and Stockholm may apply to NATO as early as this summer. On April 14, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia Dmitry Medvedev said that Russia will beef up security along its Western borders if Sweden and Finland join NATO and then "there can no longer be talk about the Baltic’s non-nuclear status."

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Russian Foreign Ministry NATO Finland Sweden Maria Zakharova

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