Steph Deschamps / May 16, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday 16 May that the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO was not a threat in itself, but that Russia would react to military deployments. Such enlargement of NATO does not constitute an immediate threat (...) but the deployment of military infrastructure on the territories of these countries will of course lead to a response, he said at a summit of a regional military alliance in the Kremlin.
Vladimir Putin had already described the applications of Sweden and Finland to NATO in reaction to the Russian offensive against Ukraine as a mistake. For the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Riabkov, they are a serious mistake, who went further by saying that these accessions could have consequences. According to the latter, Russia's response will depend on the practical consequences of the membership of the two Scandinavian countries in the Atlantic Alliance. For us, it is clear that the security of Sweden and Finland will not be strengthened by this decision, he said, noting that the level of military tension (would) increase.