Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, now a senior official and known for his anti-Western rhetoric, warned on Tuesday that new members of NATO could become targets of Russian attacks in the event of a conflict. His remarks came in the context of continued Russian opposition to further NATO enlargement.
Sweden and Finland are suspected to be the target of this daunting statement, as these countries are the latest additions to the defense alliance and Finland shares a long border with Russia.
According to Medvedev, Moscow would be ready to use nuclear weapons to retaliate against new NATO countries if military action escalates between the Western military alliance and Russia. The former president’s announcement is seen as a message about Russia’s stance on the future of Ukraine.
The war-torn country is pushing to be admitted to the EU and lobbying to get involved with NATO as well. Moscow sees this development as a threat to its security and interests in the region.
