Sweden summons Russian ambassador over target statement

On Wednesday, Sweden’s foreign ministry announced that it would call Russia’s Stockholm ambassador to complain about an alleged interference in Sweden’s NATO application process.

Both Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership in 2022, but Russia warned against it, stating that it could make the Nordic countries “a legitimate target for Russian retaliatory measures, including those of a military nature”.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom confirmed the summoning, adding that it was an “obvious attempt at interference.”