Russian President Vladimir Putin will consider a range of measures to bolster Russia's security if Finland or Sweden join NATO once the Defense Ministry presents him with its proposals on the subject, the Kremlin said Thursday.
Speaking to reporters via a conference call, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the ministry still needed time to put the proposals together.
Peskov's comments come after Dmitry Medvedev, one of Putin's closest allies, warned NATO that Russia would have to bolster its defenses in the region if Finland and Sweden joined the U.S.-led military alliance.
Finland will decide on whether to apply to join the 30-member NATO alliance in the next few weeks, Prime Minister Sanna Marin told reporters in Sweden's capital Stockholm on Wednesday.
"There are different perspectives to apply (for) NATO membership or not to apply and we have to analyze these very carefully," Marin told reporters in a joint news conference with her Swedish counterpart Magdalena Andersson.
"But I think our process will be quite fast, it will happen in weeks," she said.
