“I’m sure Putin has both eyes on Gotland. Putin’s goal is to take control of the Baltic Sea,” Bydén, supreme commander of the Swedish armed forces, told newspapers of the German editorial channel RND.
“If Russia took control and closed the Baltic Sea, it would have a huge impact on our lives, in Sweden and in all other countries bordering the Baltic Sea. We cannot allow this,” Bydén said. “The Baltic Sea must not become Putin’s playground where he terrifies NATO members.”
Russian ghost tankers have recently been present in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone off the east coast of Gotland. The fleet, estimated at 1,400 ships, operates outside the official maritime sector and is not officially part of any armed forces, so NATO has little power to act. Last month, Sweden said the European Commission would study ways to tackle Russia’s clandestine oil fleet as part of its next sanctions package.
After being demilitarized in 2005, Sweden reintroduced permanent troops to Gotland in 2016, following Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014. Sweden also became the newest member of the NATO in March, meaning it is covered by Article 5 of the alliance, which ensures all other members defend each other if attacked.
But that hasn’t stopped Putin from taunting Russia’s neighbors in the Baltic.
“If Putin invades Gotland, he can threaten NATO countries from the sea. This would be the end of peace and stability in the Nordic and Baltic regions,” Bydén said.
News Source : www.politico.eu
Gn world
