By Dominic Taylor-
Russia has warned NATO that if Sweden and Finland joined the military alliance then the Kremlin would have to bolster its nuclear defences in the Baltic.
It follows a review of the respective security arrangements of the two nations, following Vladimir Putin’s reprehensible invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden’s prime minister Magdalena Andersson (pictured)is eager for the country to join the trans-Atlantic alliance by June, to the fury of Vladimir Putin who invaded Ukraine in part for its desire to join to the pact.
But the deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, said Moscow would respond, were that to happen.
“There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic – the balance must be restored,” he said.
“Until today, Russia has not taken such measures and was not going to.”
Referring to land borders, Mr Medvedev said: “Naturally (they) will have to be strengthened.”
He added that Russia would “seriously strengthen the grouping of ground forces and air defence (and) deploy significant naval forces in the Gulf of Finland”.
‘There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic – the balance must be restored,’ said Dmitry Medvedev, former president and deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council.
The threat comes after Sweden and Finland edged closer to NATO membership yesterday, and their application bids could be submitted in weeks.
Russia issued the warning to NATO that if Sweden and Finland joined the military alliance then the Kremlin would have to strengthen its nuclear defences in the Baltic.
The warning came after Prime Minister Sanna Marin met in Stockholm yesterday to discuss NATO membership- a meeting that has riled the Russian government.
Both Finland and Sweden have historically avoided NATO membership in order to avoid aggravating Russia.
The potential bid to join NATO was made after Andersson hosted Finnish prime minister Sanna Marin in Stockholm yesterday to discuss their prospective memberships of the alliance, as a Finnish government report on its international security was also released.
The Swedish application is expected to be submitted by the NATO meeting in Madrid on June 29-20, Swedish reports said yesterday.
Similarly, Finland is hoping to start its application process ‘within weeks, not within months’, its prime minister Sanna Marin said.
Only last month, the Russian Foreign minister warned that when dealing with a nuclear power, countries must calculate the potential consequences of its actions.