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What did Putin say about NATO's Nordic expansion?
Summary
A look back at the Russian president's warning on Sweden and Finland, set against a Pentagon–Moscow contact days earlier.
What did Moscow signal about NATO enlargement on 16 May 2022? Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that Russia would react to what he called the "expansion of military infrastructure" by NATO in Sweden and Finland. He said problems were being created for no reason at all, and that Russia would react accordingly.
The warning was presented as a response to the prospect of the two Nordic states joining the alliance. It was a statement of intent rather than a specific measure: Putin named no particular steps, and the reaction he promised stayed undefined.
Contact between defence chiefs
The warning came three days after U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held talks with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on 13 May 2022. It was the first meeting between the two since the start of the invasion, so a channel between the militaries had been reopened even as the rhetoric over NATO sharpened.
A wider pressure campaign
Pressure on Russia also extended beyond security policy. On 12 May 2022, it was announced that tennis players from Russia and Belarus would be allowed to compete at the upcoming French Open as neutral athletes, while those who spoke in support of Putin would face sanctions.
Taken together, the days around 16 May 2022 showed Moscow warning NATO's northern neighbours, a senior-level military contact between Washington and Moscow, and continuing debate over how far Russian and Belarusian individuals should be penalised.
