Dmitry Medvedev, the Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Security Council, has issued a warning that Finland and Sweden are now considered legitimate military targets by Russia following their accession to NATO. He stated that their former neutrality had given them certain strategic advantages, but joining the alliance stripped away that status and placed them directly in Russia’s crosshairs.
According to Medvedev, Finland and Sweden may now be subject to retaliatory or even preemptive strikes under Russia’s military doctrine, including the use of nuclear weapons. He framed the countries’ NATO membership as a self-inflicted threat, dismissing it as a political move that has not improved their security.
This threat comes as Western intelligence services, particularly from Denmark, warn that Russia is actively rebuilding and expanding its military capabilities. The Danish Defence Intelligence Service reported in February that if Russia’s war against Ukraine were to be paused or frozen and if NATO fails to rapidly rearm, the Kremlin could be in a position to launch a wider European war within five years.
Analysts believe that the Russian dictator is not only preparing his military for prolonged warfare in Ukraine but is also strategically shifting to be capable of broader conflict with NATO. The threat level has been rising steadily, with Russia ramping up weapons production and modernising equipment, often using foreign support, including munitions from North Korea.
Danish intelligence reports that if hostilities in Ukraine stop and NATO does not respond with rearmament, Russia could launch a limited war against a neighbouring country in as little as six months. Within two years, it may be capable of threatening several NATO countries in the Baltic region. In five years, Russia could attempt a continent wide war that excludes the United States.
The Kremlin’s ambitions remain focused on undermining the European security order, and Medvedev’s latest statements further expose the Kremlin’s reliance on nuclear intimidation to destabilise the region. His remarks reflect not only aggression, but desperation, as the Russian dictatorship struggles to gain control over a conflict it cannot win militarily in Ukraine.
