Russia threatens Sweden and Finland as they discussing possibilities of joining NATO

Russia will beef up security along its Western borders if Sweden and Finland join NATO and there would be no more talk of a nuclear-free Baltic, Deputy Chairman of the Security Council of Russia and former Russia President (2008-2012), Dmitry Medvedev wrote on his Telegram channel on Thursday.

Very soon, that is precisely, by this summer, the world will become even safer.

Sweden and Finland are discussing the possibility of joining NATO with bestial seriousness. The alliance itself is ready to accept them literally “with open arms” – in the shortest possible time and with minimal bureaucratic procedures. The US is broadcasting its “Welcome!” [sign] to the representatives of Northern Europe literally in every way possible. Just humbly knock – and we will let you in. And what does this mean? This means that Russia will have more officially registered adversaries.

And how should we respond to this? The answer is clear: without emotions, and with a cool head.” How many countries are in NATO? “The number of countries in NATO – thirty or thirty-two – on the whole is not really important to us. Two more, two less, with their importance and population there is no big difference.

Another thing is that if Sweden and Finland join NATO, the length of the alliance’s land border with Russia will more than double. Naturally, it will be necessary to strengthen these borders.

Seriously strengthen the grouping of ground forces and air defense, deploy significant naval forces in the waters of the Gulf of Finland. In this case, it will no longer be possible to talk about any non-nuclear status of the Baltic – the balance must be restored.

Until now, Russia has not taken such measures and was not going to take them. If we are forced – well: “note – ‘it wasn’t us who suggested this,’ as a character in a famous old movie said.

And further. It makes no sense to argue that if it were not for the special operation in Ukraine, then the question of these countries joining NATO would not have arisen at all and the situation would have been easier for Russia. This is not true. First of all, the attempts to drag them into the alliance were made before. Secondly, which is the main thing, we do not have territorial disputes with these countries like with Ukraine. This is why the value of such membership is different for us.

Public opinion in Sweden and Finland on the issue of the need to join NATO is divided approximately in half. And this is with the maximum efforts of home-grown propagandists.

No sane person wants higher prices and taxes, increased tensions along the borders, Iskanders, hypersonics and nuclear-armed ships literally within a stone’s throw from their home. Let’s hope that that the common sense of our neighbors eventually prevails. But if not, then, as they say, “they started it.”

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin had already instructed the Defense Ministry to submit proposals for “strengthening Russia’s western flank against the backdrop of [a NATO buildup] near our western borders.” Mr. Peskov said there was no timeline yet for when such plans would be presented.

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The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean, enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain.

Finland gained independence from Russia in 1917 and fought two wars against it during World War Two during which it lost some territory to Moscow.

Sweden has not fought a war for 200 years and post-war foreign policy has focused on supporting democracy internationally, multilateral dialogue and nuclear disarmament.