WhatsappAs fighting rages in Ukraine, Finland and Sweden appear ready to join NATO. In response, Putin threatened that there would be consequences if they do. To make that point clear, Russia sent its own fighter jets into Swedish airspace – a direct violation of Swedish sovereignty.
The Swedish armed forces reported that four Russian fighter jets briefly entered into Swedish territory over the Baltic Sea on Wednesday.
The Russian violation of Swedish airspace is of course completely unacceptable,” Defence Minister Peter Hultqvist told news agency TT. “It will lead to a firm diplomatic response from Sweden. Swedish sovereignty and territory must always be respected.”
The report by the Swedish armed forces stated that “two Russian SU27 and two SU24 fighter jets briefly entered Swedish airspace east of the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea.”
With the potential for an even wider European war increasing, even one that turns nuclear, Russia’s violation of Swedish airspace appears to be a grave indication of where all of this is heading. If observers think that this will end with Putin turning his Russian tanks around – they better think again.
Putin appears to be pushing for an end to the West’s Post Cold War hegemony and is using Ukraine as a first step towards reestablishing Russia as a near invincible empire. Sweden and Finland may believe their best chance of survival is to join NATO, but in fact their application may doom them to the same fate as Ukraine.
In a world where the West is on decline and more worried about sending war memes over Instagram, it may be better to just lie low than awaken the Russian Bear.
