Russia sends letters on security guarantees to Finland

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov sent a letter to the Finnish Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the Russian Embassy in Helsinki, which is controlled by the state. tast At lunchtime on Tuesday.

The message was confirmed by Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto a few hours later.

– The message concerns the whole security situation in Europe and some OSCE principles that are also of interest to us, Haavisto saysreports Yle.

Russia says it is now waiting for a response from the Finnish government.

“good mark”

An internationally leading Russian expert interprets this development as a step in the right direction regarding the development of security policy in Europe.

– If this has already been sent to all OSCE countries, which I think it is, and there is nothing here specifically about Finland, then this is a good sign, a sign of readiness to move forward on the diplomatic track, says Arkady Mochis. , Head of the Russia Program at the Finnish Institute of Foreign Policy (FIIA), to SVT.

continue:

– It will take a long time for all OSCE countries to prepare for their reactions, and at the same time the situation in Ukraine is unlikely to escalate. Arkady Mochis says this sounds more like a call for conversation than a wish in December, which was taken as an ultimatum.

Russian requirements list

Last week, Washington delivered one written answer to the Kremlin’s “list of demands” for security guarantees that was sent to the US government just before Christmas.

– As for the main question, there is no positive reaction .. but there are reactions that make us believe that there is an opportunity for serious dialogue, but on less important issues, Lavrov said last week. But he did not say anything more specific about the contents of the letter from Washington.

He wants to stop NATO expansion

Right before Christmas Kremlin student Written assurances from the United States that it will halt further eastward expansion by the NATO military alliance.

The Kremlin demands the United States to prevent countries belonging to the former Soviet Union from joining NATO, and to withdraw the military infrastructures of NATO countries from countries that joined NATO after 1997, according to the the document.

On Tuesday afternoon, Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto said that Finland is discussing the matter with Sweden and that a joint response by the European Union and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to Russia is preferable.

SVT Nyheter asked the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs to comment on whether Sweden had received a corresponding letter.

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