Russia claims that if Finland and Sweden join NATO, a nuclear-free Baltic area will be impossible to achieve, implying increased nuclear deployments in Europe.
The length of NATO’s land boundaries with Russia will more than quadruple if Sweden and Finland join the alliance. Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and deputy head of the Security Council, tweeted on his public Telegram channel on Thursday that these boundaries must be tightened.
Russia will have to significantly increase its ground forces and air defense, as well as deploy major naval assets in the Gulf of Finland. In this situation, it will be impossible to discuss the Baltic’s nuclear-free status; the balance must be restored, he added.
The remarks came a day after Finland and Sweden stated they will make a decision on whether to seek for NATO membership in the coming weeks. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, the presidents of the nations claimed their security assessments had drastically changed.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, three Baltic nations in northern Europe, are EU and NATO members. Sweden and Finland are EU members but not NATO members, with Finland sharing an 830-mile border with Russia.
If Finland and Sweden join NATO, Moscow will have more formally registered opponents, according to Medvedev. He said that NATO was aiming to admit the two Nordic countries with the bare minimum of red tape.
He stressed that Russia’s answer should be considered coldly and without passion.
Moscow regards Finland’s possible membership in NATO as a danger to its national security, as the US would be able to install modern military equipment in Finland if it joined.
