Some Russian ambassadors are not always very diplomatic. This is for example the case of Viktor Tatarintsev, in post in Stockholm since 2014. Thus, on March 28, he threatened Sweden and Finland with “reprisals”, including military ones, by qualifying them as “legitimate targets” a once their NATO membership becomes effective.
“Sweden is stepping into the abyss,” Tatarintsev first wrote, in a lengthy diatribe against Swedish foreign policy broadcast via his embassy’s Facebook page. “For them who have observed the security situation in Europe for 30 years, it is obvious: declaring itself as a defensive alliance, NATO has continued to expand to the East to get closer to the Russian borders”, he continued, thus taking up an argument regularly made by the Kremlin.
“After the accession of Finland and Sweden, the total length of the borders between Russia and NATO will almost double. If anyone still thinks that this will somehow improve Europe’s security, rest assured that the new members of the hostile bloc will become a legitimate target for Russian retaliatory measures, including those of a military”, then warned Mr. Tatarintsev.
That said, in recent months, and after indicating that it would draw the “politico-military consequences”, Russia has muted its criticism of Finland’s and Sweden’s desire to join NATO. Given that the accession of a new country requires the agreement of all the members of the Alliance, it has undoubtedly bet on the opposition of Ankara [voire de Budapest] to prevent Helsinki and Stockholm from carrying out their project.
For the moment, only Finland is on track to join NATO… because nothing has yet been settled for Sweden, whose relations with Turkey and Hungary are strained.
From Moscow’s point of view, Sweden’s membership of NATO is difficult to accept, in particular because of the Swedish island of Götland, whose control would eventually make it possible to lock the Baltic Sea and… to play the role of “gateway”. -planes” natural in case of invasion of the Baltic countries.
Be that as it may, Stockhom does not intend to let the Russian ambassador’s remarks pass. And he was summoned by the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to explain himself. Mr. Tatarintsev knows the way well… since this is not the first time he has received such a summons.
Barely a year after his arrival in Stockholm, the diplomat had indeed been summoned by Swedish diplomacy for remarks made this time by Maria Zakharova, the spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, at a time when Sweden was asked about a possible candidacy for NATO [une perspective qui était alors rejetée par l’opinion publique suédoise].
“Sweden’s membership in NATO would have consequences in military-political and foreign policy terms, and would necessarily require retaliatory measures from Russia,” Ms. Zakharova said in September 2015.
Since then, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has changed the situation… And therefore convinced Sweden and Finland to give up their neutrality to formalize their candidacy for NATO. “God laughs at men who complain about the consequences when they cherish the causes” [*]we make Bossuet say.
[*] The exact quote is: “But God laughs at the prayers that we make to him to divert public misfortunes, when we do not oppose what is done to attract them”
