Russia as "gravest challenge to European security"

Russia as "gravest challenge to European security"

OSLO -- Defense ministers of Nordic countries have published a joint statement in a newspaper referring to Russia as "the gravest challenge to security of Europe."

The piece published in Aftenposten, Norway's highest circulation newspaper, was signed by defense ministers of Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland.

They stressed that "northern Europe must be prepared for possible crises or incidents caused by Russia," Reuters reported.

"We have to relate to Russia's actions, not the Kremlin's rhetoric. Russia is undertaking huge economic investments in its military capability. The nation's leaders has shown that they are prepared to make practical and effective use of military means in order to reach their political goals, even when this involves violating principles of international law. The Russian military are acting in a challenging way along our borders, and there have been several infringes on the borders of the Baltic nations," said the statement, and added:

"The Russian aggression against the Ukraine and the illegal annexation of Crimea are violations of international law and other international agreements. Russia's conduct represents the gravest challenge to European security. As a consequence, the security situation in the Nordic countries' adjacent areas has become significantly worsened during the past year. We must be prepared to face possible crises or incidents."

It also warned that "Russia's propaganda and political maneuvering are contributing to sowing discord between the nations, as well as inside organizations like NATO and the EU."

The joint statement will in the coming days be published as an op-ed in high circulation papers of...