Russia threatens 'retaliatory measures' if NATO brings military assets close to its border

Moscow on Saturday warned that if the defensive alliance NATO deploys nuclear forces and military infrastructure close to Russia's border, it will take “precautionary and retaliatory measures” to safeguard its national security. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Russia’s state-affiliated Interfax,” It will be necessary to respond.” He continued that by taking such defensive and precautionary measures, Russia would ensure the “viability of deterrence.” Moscow has no hostile intentions towards Finland and Sweden, reiterated the Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko. 

Russia sees no "real" reasons for those two neutral nations bordering Russia to be joining the NATO alliance, Grushko said. He reminded that Kremlin’s response will depend on “how close” NATO’s military infrastructure and assets come to Russia’s borders. His remarks came as the Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and Prime Minister Sanna Marin announced that they must apply to join the NATO military alliance “without delay”. Finland shares a 1,300km (810 miles) border with Moscow and had adopted the neutrality post-Cold War in exchange for independence. Since Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014, the two Baltic nations aligned closely with NATO. 

“Finland must apply for NATO membership without delay,” Niinisto and Marin said in a joint statement. “We hope that the national steps still needed to make this decision will be taken rapidly within the next few days.

Meanwhile,  NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Finland's accession process to NATO would be “smooth and swift” and that Finland “would be warmly welcomed”.

Kremlin threatens Finland, Sweden with military action 

Kremlin has warned the Baltic states of Finland and Sweden of a “military-technical” action for their bid of joining NATO. “The expansion of NATO and the approach of the alliance to our borders does not make the world and our continent more stable and secure,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He was asked whether Finland’s membership would be a threat to Moscow. Peskov replied: “definitely”. “Everything will depend on how this process takes place, how far the military infrastructure will move towards our borders,” he said. Peskov reiterated that Russia will be “forced to take reciprocal steps, military-technical and other, to address the resulting threats to its national security”. Moscow's spokesperson accused NATO of establishing “another flank for the military threat to our country”.