French FM: Inclusion of Sweden, Finland in NATO not lead to escalation with Russia

France considers NATO a strictly defensive alliance and sees no preconditions for escalation with Russia if Sweden and Finland are admitted to it.

The press service of the French Foreign Ministry circulated the relevant statements on Twitter, according to TASS.

“Do the applications submitted by Finland and Sweden for NATO membership represent an escalation, as Russia claims? Answer: no,” the publication reads.

In a series of posts explaining this position, the French Foreign Ministry says that NATO is a "defensive alliance" and "is fostering no escalation with Russia." It is alleged that the alliance, after the start of a special military operation of the Russian Armed Forces in Ukraine, only took measures to protect the territory of its member countries and does not take part in the conflict.

“NATO and Allies recalled the open door policy (Article 10 of the North Atlantic Treaty), which provides for the possibility for member countries to “invite any other European state capable of developing the principles of this treaty and contributing to the security of the North Atlantic region to accede to this treaty” at based on certain criteria and by consensus decision," the ministry said in a Twitter post.

"But NATO is not pursuing an enlargement agenda, it is only countries that are candidates for membership in the alliance in the interests of their own security, [which] may find it necessary to join it, usually in response to perceived threats,” the ministry added.