[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] On the 11th (local time), the Russian Kremlin pointed out that the accession of Finland and Sweden to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would not contribute to stability in Europe.
According to CNN, Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, responded to media inquiries regarding the two countries' NATO membership by saying, "We have repeatedly stated that NATO is a means of provoking conflict and that NATO expansion will not bring stability to Europe."
Regarding the recent possibility of a Russian default, Peskov said, "There is only a technically artificially induced default," adding, "This is without objective grounds." He continued, "Russia is taking all measures to fulfill its (debt repayment) obligations," and added, "The unconstructive stance of forces opposing Russia could complicate the matter."
Finland and Sweden have maintained military neutrality and have not joined NATO, but public support for NATO membership has gained momentum following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. U.S. State Department officials stated that this issue was mentioned at this week's NATO meeting. Additionally, the Finnish government announced that it plans to submit a classified document summarizing related matters to the parliament on the 13th to discuss NATO membership.
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