On a post‑conference speech in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to dispatch troops to the Finland border after Finland and Sweden joined NATO.
Putin Criticizes Finland and Sweden’s NATO Membership
After the full‑scale war in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO, becoming members in 2023 and 2024. In Sochi, Putin said the move did not improve regional security and called it an “escalation of instability.” He claimed both countries had “lost the advantage derived from neutrality” once they joined the alliance. Putin also criticized Finland’s president, asserting that Finland once served as a neutral negotiation platform but now no one will travel to Helsinki for that purpose. He dismissed the new president‑elect Aleksander Stubb’s golfing skills as insufficient.
Putin Announces Troop Deployment to Finland Border
Continuing his criticism of Finland’s NATO membership, Putin stated that Russia was now forced to deploy troops to the border with Finland. He noted that Russia previously had no military forces in that area, but now it would have them and would need to establish a separate military district. In May, media reported that Russian forces were concentrating in the Murmansk region near the Finland border, with repairs carried out on key military facilities.
Putin Warns Against Provoking Russia
During the same address, Putin declared that Russia does not intend to attack NATO. He warned that western politicians would see Russia’s plan to cause a “strategic defeat” as doomed and threatened that Moscow would respond with measures to militarize the West. He accused the West of hegemony, urged the construction of democracy, and emphasized respect for opposition views. Putin said he was ready to cooperate with other countries and pledged swift action if Russia’s sovereignty, interests, or peace were threatened.
