We will take proactive action in response to NATO expansion

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov threatened today, Tuesday, to take “appropriate and proactive” measures in response to the possibility of Sweden and Ukraine joining the EU. NATO.

In his speech, which coincides with the first day of the NATO summit in Vilnius, which is expected to send a positive message to Ukraine about its future hopes of joining the alliance, Lavrov told a press conference that Russia would protect its “legitimate security interests”.

He also continued, “We will take sufficient steps, and I can assure you that they are proactive.”

clear indication

This comes after the Secretary-General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, confirmed earlier today, Tuesday, that the NATO summit in Lithuania will take strong decisions to support Ukraine, indicating that the NATO summit will send a clear signal of Kiev’s support for NATO membership.

This comes as the leaders of NATO member states meet today at a crucial summit in Vilnius, to send a message of support to Kiev.

It is expected that the Western military alliance will provide its full support to Kiev to win the war, but its member states are divided on the issue of how far to allow Ukraine to join its ranks.

Washington and Berlin hesitated

While Ukraine’s neighbors have pushed for a clear timeline, coalition heavyweights such as the United States and Germany are reluctant to do so. US President Joe Biden said that there is no agreement to grant Kiev membership in the coalition while the war with Russia rages because that would draw NATO directly into the conflict.

In 2008, NATO left Ukraine in a gray area by promising it would become a member but not backing it up with any tangible progress.

Kiev’s attempt to join the Western bloc angered Putin, who used it as a pretext to justify his war.

But after more than 500 days of conflict, the Russian president faces a larger NATO presence in the face of Russia.

Sweden Membership

As for Sweden, after hours of talks, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday, Monday, ended months of deadlock by agreeing to refer a request Sweden to NATO membership to Parliament for approval.

Turkey blocked Sweden’s request to join NATO, accusing Stockholm of harboring Kurdish activists that Ankara considers terrorists, but Erdogan linked Sweden’s membership in NATO to the European Union re-launching negotiations for his country’s accession to the bloc.

Stockholm said in a statement it would now support efforts to revive Turkey’s long-stalled bid to join the European Union.