Putin says Russia won't attack Europe, warns on Kaliningrad blockade

Putin repeated that Russia was not planning to attack Europe but warned it would use all available weapons if Kaliningrad was attacked or isolated. NATO rejected the threat, called its posture defensive, and said support for Ukraine would continue.

In Short

• Moscow says Western drills and vessel seizures are escalating Baltic tensions
• Russian embassies alleged NATO could impose an air and naval blockade
• Kaliningrad hosts Russia's Baltic fleet and nuclear-capable Iskander missile systems

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday repeated Moscow's position that it is not planning to attack European countries, but said Russia would respond to any aggression with "all weapons" in its arsenal. His remarks came amid a fresh exchange between Moscow and NATO over Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea.

NATO rejected the warning and said it is not targeting Kaliningrad. The alliance said its activities are defensive, while Secretary-General Mark Rutte urged members to stay focused on supporting Ukraine and dismissed Russia's nuclear threats as unhelpful.

Speaking at the Valdai Club forum, Putin accused the West and Europe of raising tensions by talking about preparing for a war with Moscow in the coming years, holding military drills in the Baltic Sea, and seizing Russian vessels.

His remarks followed Moscow's warning to NATO that it would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad if any member of the alliance tried to cut off the region from the rest of Russia. Several Russian embassies in Europe said this week that Moscow had "information that NATO is preparing (an) air and naval blockade of Kaliningrad and (the) Kaliningrad region". They accused European leaders of "playing a dangerous game" by saying Russia might attack another country or increase destabilising attacks with drones and sabotage. Moscow has called those allegations absurd.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian Embassy in Ireland said: "There should be no mistake - Russia would be ready to use all its arsenal, including nuclear weapons, to defend its territory if NATO countries try to isolate (the) Kaliningrad region from the rest of the country." Asked on Thursday whether Russia was nearing a war with NATO or whether both sides were trying to intimidate each other, Putin said: "It's not intimidation, it's a response to an attempt to intimidate us." He added that "everything is written correctly" in the earlier warning to NATO. "If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation - in this case we mean Kaliningrad, or maybe some other territories - of course, inevitably and immediately the question of Russian Federation using all weapons at the disposal of our country will appear on the agenda," he said. Putin did not say directly whether Moscow would use nuclear weapons, but said Russia had arms that "no one else has" and would decide which to use in the event of an attack.

NATO pushed back against the remarks. Spokesperson Allison Hart said on Wednesday that Russia had sent a written message to the alliance and added: "We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric." She said NATO was not targeting Kaliningrad and that its reply stated that "NATO is a defensive alliance and none of our activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russia." Rutte said the bloc's reply was "short and concise". "Basically what we said is, Hey, listen, we are defensive alliance, and stop the nuclear threat. This is absolutely not called for and not helpful," he told Euronews. NATO's response also urged Russia to stop its "unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine", now in its fifth year.

Kaliningrad lies between NATO members Poland and Lithuania. It hosts Russia's main Baltic navy base and other military assets, and nuclear-capable Iskander missiles are deployed there. Western military officers have said key military installations in Kaliningrad would likely be among the first targets if Russia ever attacked a NATO ally. NATO allies have held military exercises in the Baltic Sea region in recent months, with more planned in October. The alliance launched Operation Baltic Sentry there last year to protect communication cables and pipelines. On August 18, NATO held an exercise over northern Poland and the Baltic region involving several aircraft, including an EA-37B Compass Call, an American plane that can jam communications and radar, the US Air Forces in Europe said. Defence analysts believe the unannounced large-scale exercise would not have been welcomed by the Kremlin.

European leaders and intelligence services have warned that Russia could be ready to strike another country within a few years, especially if it wins the war in Ukraine. Rutte told Euronews that Russia was trying "to divide us and lose the focus" on defending Ukraine. "We will not," he said, adding that the best response was to give Kyiv more support. "That's the message. Calm, carry on, keep the support for Ukraine going. That's how we deal with it," Rutte said.

The latest exchange has sharpened tensions between Russia and NATO, with Moscow warning over Kaliningrad and the alliance rejecting any suggestion that it is preparing to isolate the region, while insisting that support for Ukraine will continue.

With PTI Inputs

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