The retired Russian Army officer argued growing tensions in the Baltic were far more likely to contribute to the start of a new war.
He noted Sweden is following in the footsteps of Finland which, after years on the fence, applied and became the newest member of the cross-Atlantic organisation following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Khodaryonok, in a clip taken from Russian state TV and translated by Ukrainian government adviser Anton Gerashchenko, said the addition of a further country to NATO would cause serious imbalance.
He said: “Nonetheless, this would, in fact, lead to a conflict between the Russian Federation and NATO.
“And this conflict can only be nuclear. This is why the inhabitants of Stockholm and Tallinn can be asked, ‘Do you need it?’ Do you need it?
“Do you even imagine an underwater nuclear explosion on the roadstead of Tallinn or Stockholm, which will sweep away your city with a wave?
“Do you even imagine that the entire Baltic Sea could be loaded with our mines? We might dump so many mines that it would take you 10 years to de-mine it, if you still had the capacity and means to do so.”
Sweden has been trying to join NATO since the start of 2023 but faced initial opposition from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Most Scandinavia and Baltic nations, including the former Russian republics of Estonia and Latvia plus Poland, have already been members of the organisation for more than a decade.
Russia initially claimed its invasion of Ukraine was a response to NATO’s expansionistic plans – but Putin’s plans to deter nations from joining or applying for membership have failed so far.
Experts have suggested Sweden’s admission to NATO would effectively turn the Baltic Sea into a “NATO lake” and severely impede Moscow’s ability to operate.
Additionally, membership in the organisation would guarantee protection under Article 5 of the NATO agreement – which states that an attack on a member would immediately result in a unified response from all members.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
