Putin Warns "If NATO Troops and Facilities Are Deployed in Sweden and Finland, We Will Respond in Kind"

"Our territory faces equal threat as the threat posed"
"Ukraine's special operation goal is Donbas liberation... no deadline"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Sweden and Finland, which have decided to newly join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), that if NATO troops and facilities are deployed, Russia will respond in kind. Regarding the invasion of Ukraine, he emphasized that the purpose is the liberation of the Donbas region and that the war will continue until the goal is achieved without a final deadline.

According to AFP on the 29th (local time), President Putin, during a press conference held in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, for the Caspian Sea littoral states summit, said, "We do not care about Sweden and Finland joining NATO, but if military units and facilities are deployed, we have no choice but to respond in kind," adding, "We will impose the same level of threat as the threat posed to our territory."

This statement is interpreted as targeting the NATO summit held in Madrid, Spain, on the same day. On the first day of the summit, NATO invited Sweden and Finland as member countries, and the heads of member states agreed to sign the accession protocols. Furthermore, in the new strategic concept announced for the first time in 12 years, Russia was explicitly designated as a 'direct threat.'

President Putin also mentioned the invasion of Ukraine. He stated, "The objective of the special operation in Ukraine remains unchanged: to liberate the Donbas region and ensure Russia's security," emphasizing, "The Russian military is advancing as planned, and there is no need to set a final deadline for the operation's completion." This is interpreted as meaning that Russia is prepared for a prolonged war to fully secure the Donbas region.

Regarding responsibility for the missile strike on a shopping center in Kremenchuk, Ukraine, which resulted in dozens of civilian casualties and missing persons, he strongly denied involvement. President Putin said, "The Russian military does not attack any civilian facilities. We have the capability to fully understand what is where," adding, "None of us fire arbitrarily. We usually use precision weapons based on information about the target. I am confident that we acted exactly in this manner this time as well."