Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

West has declared 'total hybrid war' on Russia, claims Lavrov - as Putin warns Finland against joining NATO

West has declared 'total hybrid war' on Russia, claims Lavrov - as Putin warns Finland against joining NATO

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Finland's leader that abandoning neutrality would be a "mistake" but Finland's minister for European affairs has told Sky News the country is "prepared for all kinds of nasty measures".

The West has declared a "total hybrid war" against Russia and it is hard to predict how long it will last, Moscow's foreign minister has said.

Sergei Lavrov said the consequences of the war in Ukraine will be felt around the world.

But speaking about sanctions on Russia, he warned: "Western politicians should understand their efforts to isolate our country are in vain."

And he went on to accuse Western nations of stealing other countries' assets and losing their reputation as reliable partners.

"In the future, the world economy will be de-Americanised," he said in a speech on the 80th day of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We did everything to avoid a direct clash - but now that the challenge has been thrown down, we of course accept it," Mr Lavrov continued.

"We are no strangers to sanctions: they were almost always there in one form or another."

His comments come after a meeting of G7 foreign ministers took place earlier on Saturday, which saw the nations sign a statement saying they will continue to put economic pressure on Russia.

The group, which is made up of the UK, USA, Canada, Japan, Germany, France and Italy, also backed giving more aid and arms to Ukraine and expediting its efforts to "end reliance on Russian energy supplies".

"We reaffirm our determination to further increase economic and political pressure on Russia, continuing to act in unity," a joint statement read.

Other key developments:

• President Zelenskyy says talks with Russia on getting wounded defenders out of the Azovstal plant in Mariupol were "very complex"
• Russian fighter jets have taken part in Baltic Sea drills, Interfax reported
• Russia says it will take adequate precautionary measures if NATO deploys nuclear forces and infrastructure close to its border
• Ukraine is storing hundreds of dead Russian soldiers in a refrigerated train in order to send them back to their families
• American think tank believes Russia has lost the battle for Ukraine's second-largest city

Putin warns Finland it would be a 'mistake' to join NATO


Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Finland's leader that abandoning neutrality would be a "mistake" but that there are no security threats to its capital, Helsinki.

In response, President Sauli Niinisto told Mr Putin that his demands for countries to avoid joining NATO, together with the invasion of Ukraine, have changed Finland's security environment.

In a readout of a phone call between the two leaders, Finland's president said: "The conversation was direct and straight-forward and it was conducted without aggravations. Avoiding tensions was considered important."

Russia's Kremlin described the call as a "frank exchange of views" - normally a diplomatic euphemism for a difficult conversation.

Finland's NATO membership bid is expected to be followed by a similar move from Sweden.

An expansion of NATO would be a blow to Mr Putin, who undertook the war in, what he said was, a bid to thwart the alliance's easterly advance.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) pictured in 2021


'We are in a different situation since Russia started its ruthless war'


Discussing Finland's bid to join the alliance, the country's European affairs minister told Sky News it is "ready to carry out its responsibilities for the security of Europe".

Asked if Finland is playing a dangerous game by going against Mr Putin's warning, Tytti Tuppurainen replied: "Absolutely not.

"We are in a different situation since Russia started its ruthless and illegal war in Ukraine."

She explained that "it is time" for Finland to "get allies and to get more partners" but it does not "intend to provoke anyone".

"It's about security," Ms Tuppurainen said. "We have a neighbour which we have seen is able to act and wage a very ruthless war.

"We are prepared for all kinds of nasty measures against us but there is absolutely no panic and we are not afraid. We have been preparing for all kinds of actions and this is about our own decisions."

"Putin is to blame and this is one of the consequences of his game," she said.

'There is no threat'


Earlier on Saturday, the operator of Finland's national grid, Finigrid, confirmed to Sky News that electricity is no longer coming into the nation from Russia.

The cut supposedly happened because payments were unable to be processed.

Speaking to Sky News, the senior vice president of Finigrid, Reima Paivinen said: "We are not worried... Russian input totals about 10% of our consumption and the lack of input can be covered by having more national production and by increasing imports from Sweden and the Baltic countries.

"There is no threat that there will be not enough electricity," he added.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×