Peskov: Shoigu has not yet presented ideas for strengthening the western borders, it takes time
MOSCOW, Apr 14 - RIA Novosti. After the Russian Defense Ministry provides Russian President Vladimir Putin with proposals to strengthen the western flank against the backdrop of NATO expansion, the plan to strengthen the borders will be discussed at a separate meeting, the press secretary of the head of state Dmitry Peskov said, answering a question from journalists about the possible deployment of nuclear weapons in the Baltic.
"I can't say anything about this… It is after such a plan for our strengthening and strengthening of the western borders has been worked out that it will actually contain a whole list of measures, all the necessary steps that will be taken. And this will be considered at a separate meeting with the president, as Putin himself said," Peskov said.
He noted that the strengthening of Russia's western borders has already been mentioned repeatedly. "The main thing, let's remember all the same, is that there is an active instruction from the president to the Ministry of Defense to submit proposals to strengthen our western flank against the background of NATO's military capacity building at our western borders, for NATO this is the eastern front," Peskov stressed.
Peskov also noted that Shoigu has not yet submitted an action plan to the president. "No, it takes time. This is a serious study… Actually, this instruction was given publicly by the president so that preparations were carried out and then it was considered at a separate meeting," Peskov said. Peskov forwarded the question of whether nuclear weapons would be deployed in the Baltic to the Russian Defense Ministry and offered to wait for the department's recommendations.
Earlier, the Swedish newspaper Expressen, citing sources, claimed that Finland had expressed a clear wish to the Swedish government that both countries jointly apply for membership in NATO. On Monday, the British Times newspaper, citing sources, reported that Sweden and Finland intend to join NATO this summer.
