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Recent events have prompted Russian President Vladimir Putin to issue a detailed statement: NATO has just decided to include Sweden and Finland in the military alliance when the Russian President speaks up from a trip abroad from Turkmenistan.
Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
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As for Finland and Sweden, we don't have problems with them that, unfortunately, we have with Ukraine.
We have no territorial disputes with them.
There is nothing to worry about Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
If you want that, please do.
But they should be aware that they have not faced any threat before.
Now, when NATO troops and infrastructure are deployed, we will be forced to react in the same way and create the same threats in the areas from which threats are directed against us.
Its obvious.
Don't you understand?
Everything was going well between us, but now there will be tension for sure.
This is obvious and inevitable, I repeat,
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Under the impression of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden had decided to give up their decades of neutrality and join NATO.
The admissions process was launched at the Alliance summit in Madrid on Wednesday.
The expansion will extend Russia's border with the alliance by more than 1,300 kilometers.
Sauli Niinistö, President of Finland
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This is one of those historic days that we have plenty of this spring, but it doesn't turn everything upside down, it's not all black or white, because we must not forget that for decades, and especially in the last one, Finland Decade, a collaboration, a strengthened partnership with NATO
.«
Meanwhile, Russia continued to bomb Ukrainian cities.
In addition, the Russian head of state again rejected responsibility for the attack on a shopping center in the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk that killed 18 people.
