Russia threatens to strike Nato with nuclear weapons ‘right from the outset’ if the alliance tries to cut off its European outpost Kaliningrad
Russia has warned Nato that it could use nuclear weapons if the alliance tried to isolate Kaliningrad, its heavily militarised exclave between Poland and Lithuania. A diplomatic note accused Nato of risking direct conflict and warned that Russian strikes on alliance decision-making centres could come “right from the outset”. The threat matters amid wider tensions over Western support for Ukraine and the risk of miscalculation.
Nato said its exercises and activities do not threaten Russian territory and urged Moscow to end its invasion of Ukraine and stop its nuclear rhetoric. Secretary General Mark Rutte dismissed the prospect of Russia using nuclear weapons against the Baltic states, saying President Vladimir Putin knows he cannot defeat Nato. Separately, Russia called European arms factories supporting Ukraine legitimate military targets; analyst Nikolai Sokov warned that Moscow may view a Baltic blockade as open war, even if Western countries see it as below that threshold.
- Russia threatens nuclear force if Nato isolates Kaliningrad.
- Nato says its activities pose no threat to Russia.
- An analyst warns that a Baltic blockade could trigger miscalculation.