Putin warns Finland and Sweden about NATO as Ukraine prepares for an attack from the east

President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Sweden and Finland joining NATO would pose no threat to Russia, but that moving troops or weapons into the Nordic neighbours would elicit a “response.”

With Moscow pressing its assault in Ukraine’s eastern border regions nearly three months into its invasion, Helsinki and Stockholm are poised to abandon decades of military non-alignment out of fear of being next.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson confirmed on Monday that her country would apply to join NATO, a day after Finland, which shares a 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border with Russia, made the same announcement.