Putin signals Russia acceptance of Finland and Sweden Nato membership

Vladimir Putin has signalled Russia will tolerate Finland and Sweden joining Nato but warned that the Kremlin would respond if the alliance installed military bases or equipment in either country.

Putin said on Monday that the proposed Nato enlargement posed “no direct threat for Russia”, according to the news agency Interfax. He added that he had “no problems” with either Finland or Sweden.

Speaking on a day that Sweden formally announced its membership application while acknowledging it would remain “vulnerable” before joining, the Russian president warned that “expanding military infrastructure on to this territory would provoke a response from us [ . . .] based on the threats they create for us”.

His comments appeared to indicate the Kremlin could live with Finnish and Swedish Nato membership provided the military alliance did not dispatch arms or troops to the two countries — as it did in the Baltic states and Poland in the run-up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Sweden has repeatedly said it does not want Nato military bases on its soil or to host nuclear missiles. Finland is thought to be unlikely to want either but said on Sunday that it would not set conditions before its membership.

The proposed Nato expansion highlights the extent to which Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has transformed the geopolitical map of Europe. It will double the alliance’s frontier with Russia and in Sweden’s case breaks with two centuries of neutrality.

On Monday Swedish prime minister Magdalena Andersson formally announced her country’s membership bid. She did so with centre-right opposition leader Ulf Kristersson, in a sign of unity ahead of parliamentary elections in September.

“Sweden will be in a vulnerable position while our application is being processed,” said Andersson.

Finland and Sweden will send in their applications for Nato later this week in a move supporters say will help boost security in the Nordics and Baltics.

For both, the period between application and actual membership could last between four and 12 months. But while Finland has said it is calm and prepared for whatever Russia may throw at it, Sweden has said it is worried about potential cyber and hybrid attacks.

Kristersson said the Nato application was due to the “spectacular miscalculation” of Putin’s February invasion of Ukraine.

Norwegian prime minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Danish premier Mette Frederiksen added that they would come to Finland’s or Sweden’s aid should either be attacked before they are covered by Nato’s article five collective defence pledge.

“This is a milestone for Nordic co-operation. These guarantees are a clear signal from us. We will do what we can to ensure a quick process so that Norway can ratify Finland and Sweden very quickly as Nato members,” said Støre.

The UK has also promised to come to Sweden and Finland’s aid, including with military assets, if they come under attack and request assistance.