Finland and Sweden Nato membership decision not up to Russia - US

A Pentagon spokesperson has said it is not up to Russia to decide whether Sweden and Finland join Nato.

John Kirby made the comments after Russian leader Vladimir Putin warned Finland joining the Western alliance would be a "mistake".

"No other nation gets to veto what a sovereign state wants to do in terms of its alliances," John Kirby told the BBC.

He added that the US had seen anecdotal evidence that Russia's troops were contending with morale issues.