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Russia threatens new nuclear deployments if Sweden, Finland join NATO
Russia says that a nuclear-free Baltic region would no longer be possible if Finland and Sweden joined NATO.

4.14.22
Russia says a nuclear-free Baltic region would no longer be possible if Finland and Sweden become NATO members, alluding to additional nuclear deployments in Europe. “If Sweden and Finland join NATO, the length of the alliance’s land borders with the Russian Federation will more than double. Naturally, these borders will have to be strengthened,” Dmitry Medvedev, former president and deputy chairman of Russia’s Security Council, wrote on his official Telegram channel Thursday. Russia will have to “seriously strengthen the grouping of land 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 nuclear-free status of the Baltic - the balance must be restored,” he said.
If Finland and Sweden did join NATO, this would give Moscow “more officially registered opponents,” Medvedev added. He claimed that NATO was planning to admit the two Nordic states with “minimal bureaucratic procedures.” Russia’s response should be taken with “no emotion, with a cold head,” he added. Moscow sees neighboring Finland’s potential inclusion in NATO as a threat to its national security, as the U.S. could deploy advanced military equipment in Finland if it joined the alliance. If Finland joined the alliance, Sweden would likely follow suit. Finland and Sweden, as well as Ukraine, are already “Enhanced Opportunity Partners” of NATO, the closest form of partnership with the alliance, and partake in military exercises with NATO states. Rather than urging the countries to pursue membership, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg has repeatedly said it is for Finland and Sweden to decide their own path. He has also said, “the door remains open” for the alliance to welcome new members.
"Coercive diplomacy". Blackmail is a more honest descriptor. All due to Putin's incredible blunder in invading Ukraine. But this Kremlin threat is nothing new.
Moscow deployed mobile nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles (the 152nd Missile Brigade at Chernyakhovks) to Kaliningrad in 2016.
Included in their range are six NATO capitals.... Talin, Riga, Vilnius, Warsaw, Prague, and Berlin. Stockholm and Helsinki would increase the Kalingrad threat to eight NATO capital cities.