“Finland and Sweden have both rejected claims, made by a senior Russian adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, that ‘Russophobia’ is pushing the two non-aligned Nordic states ‘dangerously closer’ to NATO. Finnish officials described the ‘Russophobia’ claim, made by Putin’s senior political adviser, Sergei Markov, as ‘unfounded’ and ‘alarmist,’ while Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said the embedded meaning in Markov’s remarks smacked of a return by Russia to old school ‘Cold War intimidation.’”
Source: Russia Warns Sweden and Finland Against NATO Membership | Defense News | defensenews.com
