Swedish Ministry of Defense: Russia’s actions in the Baltic are aggressive and provocative
At a conference in Estonia, the Swedish Minister of Defense, Peter Hultqvist, said that Russia's actions in the Baltic are aggressive and provocative.
“Recently we witnessed the unprofessional and dangerous behavior of Russian war planes over the Baltic Sea. They flew in a direct proximity over USS Donald Cook vessel,” he said.
“There have also been other such incidents, and from our side we understand how it feels to be a victim of such provocative behavior” he added.
“Irrespective of the country of origin of the aircrafts engaged in such maneuvers, these actions must be condemned. This behavior is dangerous, reckless and provocative,” Hultqvist stressed.
The minister also stated that the annexation of the Crimea by Russia and the involvement of the Russian troops in the military activities in the Donbas pose the biggest challenge to security in Europe since World War II.
“The actions of Russia toward Ukraine go beyond direct aggression , they are posing a threat to other countries in the region who want to make an independent political choice," the Defense Minister stated.