< p _ngcontent-sc181="" class="news-annotation">In Stockholm, near the Turkish embassy, Danish-Swedish politician Rasmus Paludan burned the Koran, the holy book for Muslims. Finland sees a Russian trace in this provocation.
Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto stated this during an interview with YLE TV1. Questions about Russia's involvement in the incident are being studied, but this is preliminary a likely option.
Everything to block NATO membership
After Rasmus Paludan burned the Koran, Turkey immediately announced its refusal to support Sweden's membership in NATO. The Finnish Foreign Minister hinted that Russia could be involved, because the disruption of North Atlantic integration is beneficial to the Kremlin.
Paludan's potential ties to Russia have been explored, and certain ties have been found in his entourage, Haavisto wailed.
The diplomat called unacceptable the desire of Russia or the other side to block Sweden's membership, and with it, in fact, Finland's membership in NATO. However, Haavisto believes that after the elections in May, Turkey will return to the topic of ratifying the protocol on the accession of Sweden and Finland to the Alliance. Helsinki keeps in touch with Ankara, and foreign ministers hold talks quite often, but Haavisto noted that it is very unlikely that Finland could become a NATO member before Sweden.
The rally was paid for by a pro-Russian propagandist
Rasmus Paludan, who set fire to the Koran in front of the Turkish embassy, said that he received an offer to set fire to the Koran from Frick, who now works with a subsidiary of Russia Today. In addition, another journalist from the ultra-right publication Exakt 24 was the co-organizer of the provocation. The politician said that the burning of the Koran was the idea of Frick and the aforementioned journalist.
He added that he received financial assistance of 320 SEK from Chang Frick for the action . He used this money to consider an application for permission to demonstrate from law enforcement officers. Paludan promised to smoke the Koran every Friday until Sweden is accepted into NATO.
Chang Frik confirmed that he paid for the organization of the action against Turkey, but makes excuses that no one asked to set fire to the Koran. Frick is known to have visited Moscow and participated in propaganda shows. In addition, he showed photos on his social networks in which he posed in T-shirts with the image of Vladimir Putin and the symbols of Russia.
