Putin warns of response to any attack on Kaliningrad

Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow that Russia has no plans to attack European countries. He also said Moscow was ready to respond to possible Western aggression and warned about Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.

Operative Information Center-OMM reports that Putin’s remarks came after NATO held military exercises aimed at strengthening deterrence in the region.

Moscow has said it would respond sharply to any NATO attempt to blockade Kaliningrad by air or sea. Putin said that if Kaliningrad or other Russian territory came under direct attack, Moscow would be forced to consider using all means in its military arsenal.

Speaking about the course and economic impact of the war in Ukraine, Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries and infrastructure had caused some damage to the country’s economy. He estimated the damage at about 1% of gross domestic product and said more than 100 Russian vessels had been put out of action in military operations in the Black Sea.

Russia is also planning a sharp increase in military spending. Moscow is expected to raise its defense budget by 27% in 2027, to 17.1 trillion rubles, a record level since the conflict began.