US concerned about Russia’s campaign against Baltic states, fears escalation – Rubio
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Russia’s campaign against the Baltic states was causing "concern" amid fears that it could "escalate into something bigger."
Rubio said this at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Sweden, The Guardian quoted him as saying, Censor.NET reports.
US concerned
Rubio commented on Russia’s repeated accusations that the Baltic states were allegedly preparing to cooperate with Ukraine on drone attacks against Russia. The US official said this was "concerning" because of possible escalation.
"We understand these countries feel threatened by it, obviously, for obvious reasons. So, it’s a concerning thing, because you always worry that something like that can spark into something bigger, and that’s always a possibility," Rubio said.
The secretary of state said the United States was "watching this closely" and "engaging" with NATO on the issue.
"We’re concerned about it, because we don’t want it to lead to some broader conflict that can really lead to something far worse," Rubio concluded.
Background
- Earlier, Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service issued a statement accusing Ukraine of intending to launch combat drones from the Baltic states. Russia also threatened NATO member states with "fair retaliation" and "strikes on decision-making centres in Latvia" if this happens.
- Latvia denied Russia’s claims about "attacks from its territory".
- At the same time, Estonian Defence Minister Pevkur reported on 19 May that a drone had been shot down in the country’s airspace for the first time.
