Russia warned the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on Thursday (14) that if Sweden and Finland join the US-led military alliance, it will have to strengthen its defenses in the region, including with the deployment of nuclear weapons.
Finland, which shares a 1,300km border with Russia, and Sweden are looking into the possibility of an alliance with NATO. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Mari said the country will make a decision in the coming weeks.
Dmitry Medvedev, vice president of Russia’s Security Council and one of President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies, said that if the Nordic countries join the alliance, Russia will have to strengthen its land, naval and air forces in the Baltic Sea to restore the military balance.
Medvedev also raised the nuclear threat by saying that one can no longer speak of a “nuclear-free” Baltic – where Russia has its Kaliningrad enclave between Poland and Lithuania.
“There can be no talk of any more nuclear-free status for the Baltic – the balance must be restored,” said Medvedev, who was president of Russia from 2008 to 2012.
“To this day, Russia has not taken such measures and would not,” Medvedev said. “But if our hand is forced…take note that we didn’t propose this,” he added.
Source: CNN Brasil
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