RUSSIA
Alexander Grushko – Deputy Foreign Minister
Sweden and Finland in NATO would worsen the military situation, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told TASS on Thursday. “For decades, the neutral status of these states had ensured a very high level of their security and generally the security in that region that had been a region of peace and cooperation and, importantly, a very reliable platform for building good neighborly relations with us,” the high-ranking Russian diplomat said.
UK
Liz Truss – British Foreign Secretary
“Russian threats towards the Nordic & Baltic states are not new and only strengthen our unity,” Truss posted on Twitter, adding that “Sweden and Finland are free to choose their future without interference – the UK will support whatever they decide.”
TURKEY
Mevlut Cavusoglu – Foreign Minister
Turkey is working on organizing a meeting between the presidents of Russia and Ukraine, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told NTV on Thursday. “[w]e are approaching the current course of negotiations with neither optimism nor pessimism” Cavusoglu stated.