The Kremlin’s Dmitry Peskov has been giving one of his regular morning briefings by phone to journalists. The key lines being reported by Reuters include:
Peskov said Finnish entry to Nato is “definitely” a threat to Russia. He said Finland had joined the unfriendly steps towards Russia taken by the EU, which was a matter of regret and a reason for a symmetrical response.
The Kremlin spokesperson said everybody wants to avoid a direct clash between Russia and Nato, and that Nato expansion will not make the world or Europe more stable.
Peskov said attacks on Russian regions bordering Ukraine means additional measures are needed to ensure the security of those regions.