Russia warns NATO it could use nuclear weapons over Kaliningrad

Russia has warned NATO that it would use “the entire arsenal of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons” to defend its territory if the alliance tried to isolate Kaliningrad, its exclave on the Baltic Sea, The Express Tribune reported, citing Reuters.

The warning was delivered in a “non-paper”, an informal diplomatic document, sent to NATO. It said Russia would respond with full force “should NATO countries undertake any attempt aimed at isolating the Kaliningrad Region”.

“High risks” of direct conflict

Moscow accused NATO of pursuing a “dangerous and reckless course” that carried “high risks of the outbreak of a direct armed conflict”. It also threatened “strikes against decision-making centres in the alliance’s member states”.

Russian embassies accused the alliance of raising tensions through military exercises and planning scenarios involving the region.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian diplomats were reminding “hotheads” in Europe of Russia’s existing policy documents.

NATO: “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric”

NATO rejected the warning. “We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,” said NATO spokesperson Allison Hart. She stressed that NATO is a defensive alliance and called on Russia to end its war in Ukraine.

Why Kaliningrad is so sensitive

Kaliningrad is a small piece of Russian territory on the Baltic coast, cut off from the rest of Russia and bordered by two NATO members, Poland and Lithuania. Its only links with Russia run by sea, by air, or across the territory of other countries, which is why Moscow treats any move that could cut it off as a direct threat.

Lavrov: “a war that Europe is waging against us”

The warning follows a sharp speech by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Valdai forum in Moscow on Tuesday. Lavrov accused European countries of waging war on Russia by supplying weapons to Ukraine. “This is a war that Europe is waging against us,” he said, Anadolu Agency reported.

He described Russia’s military action as defensive, saying “we are using force to suppress this direct threat to us”, and rejected European claims that Russian strikes on cargo ships amount to a “hybrid covert war”. He said European support for Ukraine was the real aggression, and accused EU and NATO officials of acting as “spokesmen” for positions hostile to Russia.

Lavrov also criticised Germany, saying its foreign minister had discussed NATO expansion and Ukraine’s possible membership and portrayed Russia as “an eternal enemy”.

What to watch

• NATO’s response: whether the alliance changes its exercises or deployments around the Baltic
• The Baltic states: how Poland and Lithuania, which border Kaliningrad, react
• Ukraine: whether the rising tension affects any talks to end the war

Why it matters

A nuclear warning from a nuclear power is never routine. Coming while the US-Iran war is already unsettling the Middle East, a new crisis on NATO’s eastern flank adds to the strain on world energy markets and diplomacy. For countries like Pakistan that depend on stable fuel prices and trade, rising tension between the world’s major military powers is unwelcome news. Read our report on Poland’s fears of Russian hybrid attacks on its Ukraine border.

This article draws on reporting by Reuters, via The Express Tribune, and Anadolu Agency.