OMM Redaksiyası
Russia would respond to any action threatening its sovereignty or targeting civilians in Kaliningrad, a senior Russian diplomat said Thursday, as tensions between Moscow and NATO over the Russian exclave remain high.
“Any threat to the sovereignty or any targeted attack against the civilian population of the Russian Federation, including in Kaliningrad, should merit a response without limits when it comes to protecting our sovereignty and our population,” Rodion Miroshnik, an ambassador-at-large at Russia’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Geneva.
Speaking at a meeting at the Russian Embassy, Miroshnik added: “Any action that is threatening our sovereignty will be met with a rigid response.”
Russia’s warning over Kaliningrad
Asked whether a blockade of Kaliningrad would cross such a red line, Miroshnik said any action against Russia’s civilian population would be considered a threat to the country’s sovereignty.
“Kaliningrad doesn’t differ from any other region of the Russian Federation,” he said, adding that it receives “the same protection as the rest of the country.”
The comments followed a Russian warning that Moscow could use nuclear weapons if NATO tried to cut off Kaliningrad, which lies on the Baltic Sea between alliance members Poland and Lithuania.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said Wednesday that the alliance had received a communication from Russia but declined to disclose its exact contents. He urged Moscow to “stop the nuclear threat” and said NATO was a defensive alliance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also ordered measures to ensure Kaliningrad’s security, according to Kremlin adviser Nikolai Patrushev, who warned of an “appropriate and immediate response” to any aggressive action.
Russia comments on next UN chief
Separately, Miroshnik said he could not say which candidate to become the next UN secretary-general would be more or less acceptable to Moscow.
He said Russia would like the next secretary-general “not to act in the same way as Mr. (Antonio) Guterres.” Guterres’ second term ends on Dec. 31, and his successor is due to take office in January 2027.
