Protest Campaigns Unveil Russia's Covert Scheme to Thwart Finland and Sweden's NATO Accession

Russia aimed to thwart the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO by orchestrating various provocations, demonstrations, and protest actions. This information was revealed through a confidential intelligence report that fell into the hands of the investigative journalism editorial team at the Finnish broadcaster Yle MOT.

According to the obtained information, Russian intelligence prepared a campaign to destabilize the process of both countries joining NATO before they received approval for Alliance membership. As part of this campaign, plans included organizing protests, demonstrations, and escalating societal tension in European countries.

Based on documents obtained by journalists, strong protests in Sweden following the burning of the Quran aimed to increase fear of Islam in EU countries. The document also called for ongoing efforts to raise tension levels.

Another objective was to exacerbate misunderstandings between Turkey, European countries, and NATO in general. Finland's security police confirmed awareness of Russian intelligence plans to incite demonstrations in Finland, but the documents lacked evidence of Russia implementing these plans in Finland.

The materials from Russian intelligence listed means that could be used for destabilization campaigns in Europe. Among them were actions and demonstrations in major European cities mocking Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. One method mentioned in the document was "maximizing anti-Islam and anti-Erdogan graffiti in prominent locations." The plan also envisaged widespread dissemination of demonstration videos on social media, hoping that the media would also cover these events.

According to the intelligence memos that reached the media, some planned protest actions have already taken place.

It's worth noting that Finland joined NATO on April 4 of this year, while Sweden is still awaiting approval of its NATO membership from Turkey and Hungary. Both these countries, especially Hungary, are deliberately delaying the ratification process for Sweden's NATO accession.