Russian ambassador to Sweden Viktor Tatarintsev said in an interview with Aftonbladet that Moscow “spits on Western sanctions”
“Excuse my language – but we shit on Western sanctions. If the US and NATO had not provoked and aggravated the situation, we would not have objected to Sweden joining NATO. We would have respected such a decision by Sweden. But now the security situation in this part of Europe has changed dramatically. NATO enlargement is the biggest threat to Russia,” Tatarantsev said.
The diplomat deplored Sweden’s too close cooperation with NATO and the freezing of military contacts with Russia.
“It is necessary to be in contact with both sides in order to build trust and strengthen security. The lack of military contacts with Russia is not good for Sweden,” the Russian ambassador stressed.
Tatarantsev is also saddened by the fact that relations between Moscow and Stockholm have now been completely frozen at the Swedish initiative since 2014. There is a complete lack of contact between both parliamentarians and the military.
The ambassador also said that Russia had repeatedly initiated the thawing of relations, but until recently, its demands for security guarantees were met with an exceptionally cold reception.
“Now the Swedish government is suddenly talking about dialogue. It is abnormal and unnatural not to talk to each other because of what happened in a third country,” said the Russian diplomat.