On Thursday, the Russian Deputy Chief of the Security Council and former president Dmitry Medvedev said “there can be no talk of non-nuclear status for the Baltic” in case Finland and Sweden decide to become members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Both countries have expressed their intention to join the Alliance following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden and Finland held neutral status throughout the Cold War, but Russia’s unprovoked attack on Ukraine has triggered a spike in support for joining Nato. Both countries face Russia across the Baltic Sea and Finland shares an 830-mile land border with the country.
