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Vladimir Putin appears to have softened his stance on Sweden and Finland joining NATO, declaring that Moscow has no objections if they join the US-led military alliance.
“I want to inform you, dear colleagues, that Russia has no problem with those states, it hasn’t. So, in this regard, expansion by the addition of those countries poses no direct threat for us,” Putin said during a meeting with leaders of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO).
“But the expansion of military infrastructure into this territory would certainly provoke our response. What that [response] will be – we will see what threats are created for us,” the Russian President said.
Earlier Russia said if Finland and Sweden joined NATO, the US-led military alliance, then Moscow would have to deploy nuclear weapons to bolster its defense in the Baltic region of Europe.
Sweden and Finland have been making strong efforts to join NATO since the Russian invasion began in February.
Picture Credits: AP
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