‘Large scale’ battle with Europe cannot be dominated out, says Russian official | EUROtoday

Sweden is ready to lastly be a part of Nato as we speak, that means that the safety alliance has practically encircled your complete Baltic Sea.

The sea is house to one in every of Russia’s fleets, in addition to a key oil buying and selling route, and has lengthy been seen as a weak level in European defences.

“The Baltic Sea becomes a Nato lake,” Krišjānis Kariņš, Latvia’s international minister, instructed the Financial Times. “The entire security of the region is made stronger because it makes the eastern Baltic less vulnerable.”

In changing into the thirty second member of the US-led alliance, Sweden brings with it the mid-Baltic island of Gotland — dubbed a “giant aircraft carrier” — which makes defending Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia simpler.

Russia has vowed “countermeasures” over Sweden’s entry into Nato, particularly if the alliance’s troops and belongings deploy within the nation.