Russia reacts to NATO's expansion with arms deployment in the North

Sweden will become the 32nd member of NATO after the Hungarian parliament ratified Stockholm's application last Monday. Last year, Finland joined the Alliance. Both countries submitted their applications after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The expansion of NATO was addressed at a diplomatic forum in Antalya, Turkey, by the head of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Sergey Lavrov. "We took an organizational decision to establish the Moscow and Leningrad Military Districts. There, additional weapons will be deployed, which will be adequate to the threats that may arise from the territory of Finland and Sweden," said the minister, repeating Russian lies.

After Sweden was granted permission by Hungary to join the North Atlantic Alliance, the Baltic Sea became a "NATO lake." "This is not only a blow to the Kremlin regime but also 'Putin's new Nordic nightmare'", writes the Daily Mail.

The strategically important Baltic Sea was named "NATO lake." "Sweden's accession to the Alliance is the last piece of the puzzle around the coastal areas, which are a key maritime gateway for Russia, enabling NATO to exert control and strengthen the vulnerable Baltic states", assesses the British portal.

Analysts suggest that this will mean that Western allies, including Britain and the United States, will be "well-prepared to choke Russia's maneuvering room on an important shipping route if ever war with Moscow breaks out."

Source: TASS