Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, said on Monday he would move nuclear-capable missiles closer to Europe in response to Nato's expansion in the Baltic states.

In a bold display of force against Western allies, Russian S-400 surface-to-air missiles and a ballistic Iskander system will be deployed in Kaliningrad, which is situated between Lithuania and Poland.

Iskander missiles have a range of 450 miles, which means they could hit Berlin if launched from Kaliningrad.

"We are concerned by Nato decision making," Mr Putin said an interview broadcast on Monday. "We have, therefore, to take countermeasures, which means to target with our missile systems the facilities that in our opinion start posing a threat to us."