Sweden's Nato bid 'no immediate threat to Russia', says Putin

[Celerity]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Sweden and Finland joining Nato represented "no immediate threat to Russia", but that if Nato begins to site military infrastructure on their territories Russia would respond.

https://www.thelocal.se/20220516/russias-foreign-minister-swedens-nato-bids-is-a-grave-mistake/



Speaking at a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, which groups Russia with Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, Putin seemed to tone down the threats to Sweden and Finland which have come in recent days from Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov and from his spokesperson Dmitry Peskov.

“Russia has no problems with these states. There is no immediate threat to Russia,” he said at a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation, which groups Russia with Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. “But the expansion of military infrastructure into this territory would certainly provoke our response.”

Sweden on Monday announced its intention to apply to join Nato, a day after a similar decision from Finland. In Sweden’s case, the decision brings an end to 200 years of various forms of non-alignment. Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov warned earlier on Monday that the two countries’ decisions to join the Nato military alliance were serious mistakes and that Moscow would take measures. “This is another grave mistake with far-reaching consequences,” he told Russian news agencies.

“The general level of military tensions will increase. It is a pity that common sense is being sacrificed for some phantom ideas about what should be done in the current situation.” Ryabkov said the two countries’ security would not strengthen as a result of the move and that Moscow would take measures. “They should have no illusions that we will just put up with this,” he said. Moscow has already warned Finland, with which it shares a 1,300 kilometre (800 mile) border, that it would take “reciprocal steps”.

snip

[Noahv]

1. Translation: "I'm scared of messing with NATO"

.Bullies are often cowards.

[roamer65]

2. He just backed down.

[BeyondGeography]

3. Heh

Does that mean those scary NATO encirclement maps they regularly show on Russian State TV will have Vlasterisks on Sweden and Finland? You know, to cushion the blow to someone’s ego.

[pwb]

4. The little guy is sounding like Saddam.

Just big tough talk, typical.

[murielm99]

5. I hope he ends up living in a hole somewhere then,

just like Saddam...