Putin says Sweden & Finland joining NATO not ‘threat’ for Russia but warns of response

Russian President Vladimir Putin, from the stage CSTO, has again reiterated his tough stance over Sweden and Finland's announcement of joining the NATO military alliance. Reacting to the recent announcements, Putin said he has no issues with these countries but warned both Sweden and Finland of suffering "the burnt of Moscow" if they wish to expand NATO's military infrastructure.

"The expansion of military infrastructure into this territory (Finland and Sweden) will certainly cause our response," TASS News agency quoted the head of the Russian state while speaking at the summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the Kremlin. "We will look at what it will be based on the threats that will be created for us. Actually, the problem is being created from scratch. We will react accordingly to this," the Russian president said. However, he noted Russia has no issues with Sweden and Finland and therefore they do not pose a direct threat to the Russian Federation.

Putin's conversation with Finnish counterpart Niinisto 

Earlier on Sunday, Putin and Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin held a telephonic conversation. The talks between the two presidents did not go well as President Putin said that the relations between the two neighbours could be “negatively affected” if Finland goes ahead with its plans.

According to the statement released by Kremlin Press Service, Putin told his Finland counterpart that the abandonment of its traditional policy of military neutrality would be an error. Putin stressed that there are no threats to Finland’s security. "Such a change in the country’s foreign policy course could have a negative effect on Russia-Finland relations, which have been built over the course of many years in the spirit of neighbourliness and partnership cooperation and have a mutually beneficial nature," read the statement released by Kremlin.

Meanwhile, Niinisto, in his reply told Putin that the security situation has changed drastically ever since Russia invaded Ukraine. "The discussion (with Putin) was straightforward and unambiguous and was held without exaggeration. Avoiding tensions was considered important," said Niinisto, Finland’s president's office, in a statement released after the conversation. "By joining NATO, Finland will strengthen its own security and assume its responsibilities," Niinisto said. The phone call was conducted on Finland’s initiative, Niinisto’s office said.

What is NATO?

NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between 27 European countries, two North American countries, and one Eurasian country. The organisation implements the North Atlantic Treaty that was signed on April 4, 1949. According to NATO, it is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes. If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military power to undertake crisis-management operations. These are carried out under the collective defence clause of NATO's founding treaty - Article 5 of the Washington Treaty or under a United Nations mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organisations.

(Image: AP)