ISTANBUL

The deployment of nuclear weapons on Finnish territory poses a threat to Russia, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Friday, following the Finnish Ministry of Defense's announcement that it intends to lift a long-standing ban on nuclear weapons on its territory.

According to the state news agency Tass, Peskov underlined that such “threats” from Finland cannot go unanswered by Moscow.

"The fact is that by deploying nuclear weapons on its territory, Finland is threatening us," he was quoted by the news agency as saying. "And if Finland threatens us, we take appropriate measures."

He also underlined that Finland's statements regarding its intention to deploy nuclear weapons are leading to an escalation across the entire European continent, increasing Helsinki's “vulnerability.”