Russia threatens to use 'nuclear force' to protect Crimea annexation and Baltic states

Russia has threatened to use "nuclear force" to protect its invasion in Crimea and warned that "same conditions" that were present in Ukraine and caused Russia to take action there exist in the three Baltic states.

According to the Independent, Moscow said that if Nato moved more forces into the Baltic states, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia then the spectrum of responses would range from nuclear to non-military.

The threat by Russia to use nuclear force came in a meeting in Germany last month where Russian officials said that an attempt to return Crimea to Ukraine would be met through use of "nuclear force".

The officials also warned that if Nato sent arms to Ukraine then it would be considered as an "encroachment by Nato to the Russian border" and a forceful response would be demanded.

According to reports, Russia is considering taking action in the Baltics that would be harder to trace back to Russia than those of eastern Ukraine.