Vladmir Putin’s Russia has threatened to deploy nuclear weapons should Finland and Sweden join the US led military alliance, known as North Atlantic Treaty Organization(NATO)
The prime minister of Finland, Sanna Marin mentioned that the country is considering joining NATO, saying that they will reach a decision soon on that.
Finland shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia and also a next door neighbour to Sweden.
Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev mentioned that Russia would have to strengthen its defence by shoring up its land, naval and air forces in the Baltic Sea in the situation these two Scandinavian nations join NATO.
Medvedev also explicitly raised the nuclear threat, saying there could be no more talk of a “nuclear-free” Baltic – where Russia has its Kaliningrad exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.
“There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic, the balance must be restored,” said Medvedev, who was president from 2008 to 2012.
“Until today, Russia has not taken such measures and was not going to,” Medvedev said. “If our hand is forced, well take note it wasn’t us who proposed this,” he added.