Russian President Vladimir Putin may be seeking dominance over the Baltic Sea and has his eye on the Swedish island of Gotland, Micael Byden, the supreme commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, said in an interview with the German media network RND published on May 22, Paralel.Az reports.

"Gotland, Sweden's largest island, is located about 330 kilometers (around 200 miles) north of the Russian exclave Kaliningrad, the headquarters of Russia's Baltic Fleet, and is strategically important for the defense of the Baltic Sea region."

If Russia seizes control of the island, it could threaten NATO countries from the sea, according to Byden.

"This would signify the end of peace and stability in the Nordic and Baltic regions," the Swedish military chief says. "The Baltic Sea should not turn into Putin's playground where he intimidates NATO members."