Russia has not threatened to take over Finland and Sweden, says Finland’s ambassador to the United States Mikko Hautala To STT.
Hautala’s comments relate to the U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield Russia has said so. Thomas-Greenfield spoke at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday.
Hautala says he discussed the ambassador’s speech with a high-ranking U.S. official on Thursday.
– I was called by a senior US State Department official to clarify the comment made by US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the UN General Assembly. He wanted to emphasize that these comments are not based on any new threat assessment concerning Finland or Sweden, Hautala says.
He does not consider it appropriate to open the name of his interlocutor because of the rules of the game in diplomacy.
What did Russia say?
Spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Marija Zaharova issued a statement last week in which he spoke about the consequences of Finland’s and Sweden’s NATO membership. Finland has speculated as to whether Thomas-Greenfield’s statements could have referred to that comment, for example.
– I consider it very possible, Hautala says.
Different interpretations have also been put forward in the Finnish public debate as to whether Zaharova’s comments changed anything about Russia’s position. Hautala himself says that he told his interlocutor that, according to his observations, there has been nothing new in Zaharova’s comments regarding what Russia has said about Finland’s membership in NATO before.
– The matter has now been clarified and clarified, and I think it is very good, Hautala says.
Thomas-Greenfield spoke at the UN General Assembly about Russia and the war in Ukraine.
– At every stage of the war, Russia has betrayed the United Nations. Russia’s actions are contrary to everything this body represents, Thomas-Greenfield said.
On Wednesday, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine immediately. There were 141 votes in favor and five against.
In addition to Russia, Eritrea, North Korea, Syria and Belarus voted against. 35 countries abstained, including China, India and Pakistan.