Russia's Defense Ministry Has Relevant Plans, Says Peskov

Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov has announced that the Russian Defense Ministry has plans for measures to ensure the country's security in light of NATO's initiation of the membership process for Finland and Sweden.

Recall that NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced on Tuesday the start of the ratification process for the accession protocols of Sweden and Finland to the alliance. Earlier, the mayor of Lappeenranta, Finland, Kimo Jarva, proposed establishing a NATO base in the city.

Peskov stated to reporters, "Such options are being developed not in the Kremlin, but in the Defense Ministry. We have repeatedly told you that there are relevant plans in place, and work is ongoing to ensure our security," while responding to a question about whether the option of deploying a NATO base near the Russian border is being considered in the Kremlin, and how Moscow might respond to that. He reminded that Russian President Vladimir Putin has already provided an assessment of NATO's accession of Finland and Sweden.