*One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies warned NATO onThursday that if Sweden and Finland joined the US-led military alliancethen Russia would have to bolster its defences in the region, including bydeploying nuclear weapons.*
Finland, which shares a 1,300-km (810-mile) border with Russia, and Swedenare considering joining the NATO alliance. Finland will make a decision inthe next few weeks, Prime Minister Sanna Marin said on Wednesday.
Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, said thatshould Sweden and Finland join NATO then Russia would have to strengthenits land, naval and air forces in the Baltic Sea.
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Medvedev also explicitly raised the nuclear threat by saying that therecould be no more talk of a “nuclear free” Baltic – where Russia has itsKaliningrad exclave sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.
