OMM Redaksiyası
Russia has warned NATO that it is prepared to use nuclear weapons if the alliance attempts to isolate the Kaliningrad region, located on the Baltic Sea. The warning was contained in a diplomatic document seen by Reuters.
The document sent by Moscow to NATO said the alliance was pursuing a “dangerous and irresponsible course” that directly increased the risk of an armed confrontation.
Russia’s nuclear warning
Russia said decision-making centers in NATO member states could be targeted from the early stages of a potential conflict. Moscow also stressed that if NATO countries tried to cut Kaliningrad off from the rest of Russia, it would use all available military capabilities to defend the territory, including nuclear weapons.
Located between NATO members Poland and Lithuania, Kaliningrad is a heavily militarized Russian territory. Its position on the Baltic Sea has made it a major source of security concerns between Moscow and the alliance.
NATO rejects warning
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte rejected Russia’s statement. Saying the alliance was defensive in nature, he described Moscow’s nuclear threats as “completely inappropriate and unhelpful.”
In its response, NATO said none of the alliance’s exercises or activities posed a threat to Russian territory. The organization called on Moscow to end its full-scale invasion of Ukraine and stop its “increasingly irresponsible” conduct toward NATO members.
Asked whether there was a real risk that Russia could use nuclear weapons against the Baltic states, Rutte said: “No, there is no such risk.” Speaking at a defense conference in Brussels, he said Russian President Vladimir Putin knew that Russia could not defeat NATO.
Warning over miscalculation
Nikolai Sokov, a Vienna-based nuclear affairs analyst and former Russian diplomat, said the warning reflected Moscow’s growing concern over Western military activity and support for Ukraine.
He said Russia could view moves aimed at restricting access to the Baltic Sea as an act of war, even if Western governments assessed them as falling below the threshold of armed conflict.
Sokov warned that the risk of “mutual miscalculation” was increasing and urged both sides to act cautiously.
The exchange came as relations between Russia and European countries remained sharply strained amid the war in Ukraine. Moscow and NATO continue to accuse each other of escalating tensions.
A NATO diplomat described the Russian document as an attempt to intimidate European countries. A senior European defense official, however, said the warning should be taken seriously.
