Russia warned the Western military alliance North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that it would be ready to resort to nuclear weapons if the alliance sought to isolate Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave that borders the Baltic Sea.
In a document sent to NATO and to which Reuters had access, Moscow accused the alliance of following a “dangerous and imprudent path” that carries “high risks of triggering a direct armed conflict.”
The document states that this includes the possibility “of Russian attacks against decision-making centers in alliance member countries at the outset of the conflict.”
“Russia will be ready to use the full arsenal of forces and resources at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, in order to defend its territory should NATO countries undertake any attempt aimed at isolating the Kaliningrad region from the rest of the country,” the text said, classified as a “non-paper” — diplomatic jargon for an informal document.
Beyond the private warning, the Russian embassies in at least three European countries issued statements in the last three days accusing NATO of intensifying tensions through military exercises and the planning of scenarios involving Kaliningrad. Russia also rejected Western claims that it posed a threat to Europe.
The statements maintained that Russia has no intention of attacking NATO countries, but warned that any aggression against Kaliningrad — a heavily militarized Russian territory located between Poland and Lithuania — would be met with the strongest possible response.
The warnings highlight a sharp uptick in tensions between Russia and European countries, which accuse Moscow of intensifying a “hybrid war” on the continent through acts such as sabotage and arson.
Russia denies this and rejects the repeated statements by Western politicians that it is preparing for a possible military attack on a NATO country.
The NATO spokesperson, Allison Hart, confirmed that Russia sent an informal document to the alliance, but did not disclose its contents.
“We sent a response, stressing that NATO is a defensive alliance and that none of our activities or exercises poses a risk to any part of Russia. We strongly condemn the threat of the use of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. We urge Russia to end its unprovoked war in Ukraine,” she said.
A senior European defense official said: “(This is) the first time since the Cold War that Russia has threatened us in this way. Therefore, this is serious.”
A NATO diplomat said: “I would say the Russian letter is just another attempt by Russia to intimidate Europeans, and NATO’s response is firm and responsible. It reaffirms that we will not be deterred from supporting Ukraine.”
