The defense ministry said that a response to such a development would come from the defense ministry.
Russia s response to a possible NATO base in Finland would be outlined by the military, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. Peskov was responding to Finnish media reports, which claimed that the mayor of a city close to the Russian border wanted an increased Western military presence there.
When asked about comments, Peskov said that relevant plans do exist in the defense ministry and that work is underway to ensure our security. Russia's attitude towards Finland's looming NATO accession did not change, he added.
Last week, Finnish broadcaster Yle cited Lappeenranta Mayor Kimmo Jarva as saying that his city and the whole region could benefit from an inflow of investment after the country ascends to NATO. He said the city airport could be used for military purposes.
Lappeenranta, a city of some 70,000 residents, is located in the South Karelia region, 20 km from the Russian border.
The speaker of the Russian State Duma, Vyacheslav Volodin, said Jarva was wrong to believe that a NATO facility in his city would make residents safer. In a post on Monday, he pointed out that military infrastructure would be the primary target in case of a potential conflict.
Sweden and Finland are due to join NATO soon. They asked for membership in the wake of the Russian offensive in Ukraine in February. Helsinki and Stockholm broke national traditions of neutrality stretching back decades and even centuries to seek accession to the US-led military bloc.
Both countries said they are not obliged to host NATO military bases after joining the alliance.
Moscow said the two nations compromised their safety by joining the bloc, which Russia considers hostile and serves the interests of American hegemony. It said the Russian military will respond to a shift in the balance of power in the Baltic region.