Moscow sets its sights on Sweden and Finland

Perpetrated the threat to Ukraine and while the Russian troops began their entry into Kiev, Vladimir Putin now points to other countries: Finland and Sweden in a clear message that they can approach, according to Moscow, “a breaking point” in their relationship with the West.

The two Nordic neighbors are not part of NATO. They didn’t want it during the Cold War and they didn’t want it afterward, but for a few years, Moscow‘s behavior has changed the point of view of the ruling class and part of society.

Good proof of this is that yesterday, at the teleconference called by the general secretary, Jens Stoltenberg, not only the 30 members and the European institutions were invited, but also Helsinki and Stockholm. A decision that has not liked the Kremlin, which has once again shown its teeth.

The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said at a press conference that “all participating States of the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe)  in their national capacity, including Finland and Sweden, reaffirmed at the time the principle of that the security of some States should not be built at the expense of the security of other countries. It is evident that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, which is mainly a military bloc, would have serious military and political consequences that would require our country to take reciprocal measures”.

Zakharova warned that relations between Moscow and Western powers are approaching a “breaking point”.

“It has not been our option. We wanted dialogue, but the Anglo-Saxons (in direct reference to the US ) closed those options one after another and began to act differently.

The reaction in both European capitals, or in Brussels, has been not to respond to the threat directly, but they emphasize an unqualified message: “President Putin ‘s decision to attack Ukraine is a terrible strategic mistake, for which Russia it will pay a high price, both economically and politically, in the coming years”, Stoltenberg said at the end of the meeting and this has been included in a declaration from all parties.

Heading to the center of the capital

Three decades after the end of the USSR, Russian soldiers once again appeared in Kiev. This time not as comrades, but as an invading power.

At lunchtime, the shriek of the sirens returned to the Maidan, the independence square. Authorities warned residents of the Obolon district to stay off the streets as “active hostilities” approached. With difficulty, the invaders made their way with their eyes set on the center of the city.

The “military operation” that Putin launched in Ukraine with the alibi of protecting the “Russian minority” and curbing the NATO threat has led to a full-fledged invasion that pursues regime change by any means. Even instigating a military coup.

President Putin called on the army of the attacked country to take power. “Once again I appeal to the military personnel of the Ukrainian armed forces: do not allow Ukrainian neo-Nazis and radical nationalists to use their children, wives and elderly as human shields,” he told a meeting of the Russian Security Council, where he reviewed with his board the details of the largest attack on a European state since World War II.

Moscow says it is not planning a military occupation, only to disarm Ukraine and remove its leaders. The UK defense intelligence chief confirmed that Russian forces were continuing to advance towards Kiev last night. ” Russia ‘s idea is to create chaos and form a temporary administration,” explains Mikhailo Podolyak, an adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Ukraine accused the Russians of firing on ambulances in the Zaporizhzhya and Chernihiv regions and on a psychiatric hospital in Chernihiv. The multiplicity of fronts relaunches the potential for collateral damage. Two ships, one of them Panamanian, were hit by Russian missiles near Odessa.