Daily Times

Kyiv, Ukraine: President Vladimir Putin said on Monday Sweden and Finland joining NATO would be no threat to Russia but warned the Western alliance that moving troops or weapons into the Nordic neighbours would provoke a “response.”

Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson confirmed on Monday her country would apply to join NATO, a day after Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometre border with Russia, said the same.

Putin said the move poses “no direct threat for us… but the expansion of military infrastructure to these territories will certainly provoke our response.”

The Russian leader’s more moderate reaction marked a contrast with comments earlier Monday from deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov, who called the expansion a “grave mistake with far-reaching consequences”.