(NewsReady.com) – The last thing Russian President Vladimir Putin wants is an expansion of NATO. That’s exactly what he got when he decided to invade Ukraine. Finland and Sweden, fearing a greater conflict, both asked to join the international alliance. That has prompted Putin to take action.
On March 12, Putin sat down for an interview with state television ahead of the March 15–17 election. During the conversation, the Russian president said Sweden and Finland had made an “absolutely senseless step from […] ensuring their own national interests.” He said that his country has had pretty good relations with Finland in the past, not having “a single claim against each other.” He explained that even though they share a border, they never had any disputes with each other related to territory either.
Putin said he previously removed all of the troops from the Russian-Finnish border. However, since Finland decided to join NATO, he said he would now put troops on the border again.
The Russian president’s comments come after Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo spoke to the European Parliament and said the other Euro nations should follow his nation’s example and increase security along their borders. He pointed to Putin’s actions and said they forced Orpo to make his country more secure.
The prime minister called the current situation “a status born out of necessity and reinforced by [Finland’s] history and geographical position.” He went on to say they’d “developed comprehensive strategies” covering everything from the private to the public sectors.
Finland and the other NATO member states are concerned that Putin may invade other nations if he succeeds in Ukraine. The concern over the expansion of the conflict has prompted the countries to ramp up security along their borders.
In the same March 12 interview, Putin stressed that his country is prepared for nuclear war if need be but said he doesn’t think it would come to that.
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