“[Putin] does not want to stop negotiating but rather continue increasing his sphere of influence in Europe. It is an interplay between military escalation and negotiations…If nothing happens militarily now, the chances of him taking action may be reduced. However, he can always withdraw and come back in the summer. We just don’t know. He can talk about deescalation all he wants, but he’s the one who is escalating.”
“He has maintained a respectful tone towards Macron. However, in the end, I am convinced [Putin] wants to make a deal with the United States. They are the most powerful countries in the world. If he can strike a deal with the strongest country, Putin can also show that Russia is strong.”
Further reading
Tue, Jan 11, 2022
Wieslander interviewed by Radio Sweden on Russian demands
In the News By Anna Wieslander
Russia’s demands that NATO should not expand any further, or face the consequences, has raised concerns over the security of the two Nordic non-NATO members Sweden and Finland. “This is very troublesome for Sweden… and it is not the first time Russia has done this,” Wieslander said.
Fri, Jan 7, 2022
Wieslander on Swedish & Finnish NATO enlargement in RUSI interview
In the News By Anna Wieslander
Sweden and Finland’s freedom to potentially join NATO was recently challenged by Russia. Anna Wieslander spoke with Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) about the reactions in Stockholm and Helsinki. “Overall, Sweden’s response has not been at the same high level of state officials as the response in Finland. One key explanation for this is that […]
Tue, Nov 16, 2021
Webinar: The Russian Federation- Challenges and Trends Impacting Central and Northern European Security
Event Recap By
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland and the Embassy of the United Kingdom in Stockholm, together with the Atlantic Council Northern Europe Office, organised a timely webinar on November 16th. Taking place as the border crises between Poland and Belarus escalated, the webinar’s main goal was to discuss the security outlook for Central and […]