Russia anticipates a change in its security policies after the entry into NATO of Sweden and Finland

Shoigu rules out that Russia intends to use chemical weapons in Ukraine

MADRID, 16 Ago. (EUROPA PRESS) -

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has anticipated that Moscow will have to make a change in its security policies in the Baltic and Arctic regions after Sweden and Finland join NATO.

"The official participation of Helsinki and Stockholm in NATO's strategic planning, the possible layout of the territory of these states for the deployment of attack weapons will change the security conditions in the Baltic and Arctic region," Shoigu explained.

For this reason, Russia will have to review its "approaches" in defense matters, as it commented during a conference on security held in Moscow, in which it also assured that the entry of Finland and Sweden into NATO has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine.

For Shoigu, the approach of the Swedes and Finns to the Alliance "has been taking place for many years" with initiatives such as the Nordic Defense Cooperation, which he has described as "the northern branch of NATO" that serves as a "cover" for these countries to participate in their training.

On the other hand, Shoigu has also ruled out that Russia intends to use chemical or nuclear weapons during the war with Ukraine, while denying that the support of Western countries for the kyiv side has affected the course of the conflict set by Moscow. .

Shoigu has criticized the media that is spreading "speculation" about Russia's alleged use of this type of weapon, all "information padding", which is nothing more than "an absolute lie".

"From a military point of view, there is no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine to achieve stated goals. The main purpose of Russian nuclear weapons is to deter a nuclear attack," he concluded.

Regarding the use of chemical weapons, the Russian minister maintains that they are "absurd" accusations and that, unlike the United States, Russia destroyed this type of weapon in 2017 in compliance with its international obligations.

Shoigu has also addressed the role of Western countries in this war, which he has said, despite the shipment of weapons, has not changed the course that the Kremlin had set when President Vladimir Putin announced the invasion of Ukraine on last February 24.

"The special military operation has dispelled the myth about the 'superweapon' that the West is supplying to Ukraine and that it was capable of radically changing the situation on the front (...). However, these weapons are also being crushed. They have not had a significant impact on the situation," he said.

The Russian minister has criticized that the operations of the Ukrainian forces are "planned and coordinated" by foreign military advisers and that security in Europe has worsened due to the increasingly "aggressive" and "anti-Russian" military actions of NATO.

"NATO has taken off its mask. The aggressive nature of the bloc is no longer hidden behind the exclusively defensive rhetoric of its activities. The Alliance's strategic planning documents contain claims of global dominance in Africa, the Middle East and Asia," has accused.