The former Russian president issued a warning last month that, should Moscow so desire, the newest members of NATO may potentially become the targets of nuclear retaliation.
As one of Russia’s most vocal opponents of the West, Dmitry Medvedev seemed to be alluding to Sweden and Finland, the two nations who joined the Western military alliance last.
According to the TASS state news agency, nuclear weapons would not be out of the question in the event of hostilities.
According to Medvedev, “given their geopolitical position and many other factors, the non-aligned status gave them [Finland and Sweden] certain international perks.”
“And now that they are a part of a hostile bloc, they are automatically a target for our armed forces, which includes the possibility of retaliatory strikes and even the use of nuclear weapons or preventive measures within a military doctrine.”
