Russia warns NATO: if the Alliance countries try to isolate Kaliningrad, Moscow would be ready to use “all its available arsenal of weapons” to defend the region. The message is contained in an informal document sent to the Alliance by the Russian embassy in Belgium. NATO confirms having received it and responded, condemning what it defines as a threat to use force.
Moscow’s denunciation of the exercises
At the center of the exchange is Kaliningrad, a Russian territory overlooking the Baltic Sea and separated from the rest of Russia, between Poland and Lithuania. According to the Moscow embassy, NATO military activities near Russia’s western borders have increased “unprecedentedly”. Among these, the diplomatic representation claims, there would be large-scale exercises in which offensive operations and the isolation of the region would be simulated. These are Russian accusations, rejected by the Alliance.
The embassy defines NATO’s line as “reckless and irresponsible” and claims that it “significantly increases the risk of direct military confrontation”. In the document, as reported by the Russian agency Tass, Moscow states that it has the means to repel a possible aggression and warns that it could use all the weapons at its disposal in the event of an attempt to isolate Kaliningrad.
NATO’s response to Moscow
NATO’s response came through spokeswoman Allison Hart. “I can confirm that Russia has sent an informal document to NATO and that we have sent a response,” he said. Hart stressed that the Alliance is defensive and that “none of our activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russian territory.”
The spokeswoman then condemned “the threat of the use of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric” and called on Russia to end the war in Ukraine. NATO, he added, will continue to support Kiev and has the necessary means to defend “every inch of allied territory”.