Russia has no same problems with Sweden, Finland as with Ukraine, let them join NATO if they want - Putin

ASHGABAT. June 30 (Interfax) - Russia does not have the same problems with Sweden and Finland, whose accession to NATO has been approved, as it does with Ukraine, and Russia does not mind their entry into NATO if that is what they want, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

"As to Sweden and Finland, we do not have the same problems with Sweden and Finland as we, unfortunately, do with Ukraine. We have no territorial issues or disputes, and we have nothing that could cause us concern from the angle of NATO membership for Finland and Sweden. If that is what they want, let them do it," Putin said, while responding to journalists' questions in Ashgabat.

"Yet they should be fully aware of the fact that they faced no threats before but now, if military contingents and infrastructure are deployed there, we will have to give a tit-for-tat response and create the same threats to the territories from where threats are posed toward us," Putin said.

"This is obvious. Don't they realize that? We used to be fine, but now there may be some tensions. This is obvious, and this cannot be avoided. Yet again, that will happen if threats are created," he said.