The European Union must take care of its own defence, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said on Wednesday in a speech in the European Parliament.

Orpo was addressing the European Parliament after Russian President Vladimir Putin had said in remarks published on Wednesday that Finland and Sweden's entry into NATO is "a meaningless step" and that Russia will deploy troops and systems of destruction to the Finnish border after Finland joins the alliance. (Reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta)