Putin says Russia’ll respond if infrastructure is set up in Finland, Sweden; Russia won’t respond militarily to Sweden, Finland, Estonian PM quips

Russian President, Vladimir Putin has said that the country would respond in kind if NATO deployed troops and infrastructure in Finland and Sweden after they join the U.S.-led military alliance NATO

Putin made this remark after talks with regional leaders in the ex-Soviet state of Turkmenistan, saying that it was inevitable that Moscow’s relations with Helsinki and Stockholm would sour over their NATO membership.

Putin added that the objectives of what Moscow calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine remained unchanged which was to “liberate” eastern Ukraine’s Donbas region and create conditions to ensure Russia’s security.

Meanwhile, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has said that Russia wouldn’t respond to Sweden and Finland, by triggering a conventional war over their accession to NATO.

Arriving for the second day of a NATO Summit in the Spanish capital Madrid, Kallas said Russian President Vladimir Putin was more likely to respond through hybrid warfare methods.

The comment came two days after NATO member Turkey lifted its veto over the bid by Finland and Sweden to join the alliance after the three nations agreed to protect each other’s security.