Russia · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Russia Warns NATO It Will Use Nuclear Weapons If It Isolates Kaliningrad
Russia warns NATO it could use nuclear weapons if Kaliningrad is isolated. A diplomatic document sent to NATO contained the warning of nuclear escalation.
31 outlets told this the same way.
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6 of 8 outlets skipped it: russia’s risk includes strikes on NATO decision-making centres from outset.
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Nuclear warning over Kaliningrad
Russia warned NATO that it would be prepared to use nuclear weapons if NATO tried to isolate the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad from the rest of the country. The diplomatic note, consulted by Reuters and The Financial Times and revealed this Wednesday, September 30, stated, "Russia will be ready to use the full range of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, to defend its territory if the NATO countries were to undertake any attempt to isolate Kaliningrad from the rest of the country." NATO spokesperson Oana [Allison Hart] confirmed that Russia sent an informal paper to the alliance without disclosing its contents, and NATO said it sent a reply emphasizing that it is a defensive alliance.
NATO added that its activities and exercises do not threaten any part of Russia, while Russia accused NATO of following a dangerous and reckless path with high risks of triggering a direct military confrontation. The warning centered on Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave located between Poland and Lithuania and bordered by the Baltic Sea.
NATO response and rhetoric
NATO responded in writing by calling Russia’s nuclear rhetoric irresponsible and urging Russia to end its unprovoked war in Ukraine.
NATO’s response said, "We call on the Russian Federation to end its large-scale and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. We urge the Russian Federation to refrain from any increasingly imprudent behavior toward the Allies and to cease its irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,"
The Russian embassy in Brussels published the content of the document on X and denounced what it called an unprecedented buildup of Alliance military activity along its western borders.
The embassy said, "We note an unprecedented buildup of Alliance military activity along our western borders," which include Kaliningrad, and NATO replied that none of its exercises or activities constitute a threat to the territory of the Russian Federation.
A NATO spokesperson also said, "The use of hybrid tactics by Russia is a sign of despair, but we will not be deterred from our support for Ukraine," as NATO framed the dispute as part of broader tensions.
What comes next
Mark Rutte said NATO was not facing an imminent threat to its territory despite Russia’s warning about Kaliningrad. Rutte said, "there is no imminent threat to the territory of the North Atlantic Alliance," and he added that any intention by Moscow to attack NATO would be accompanied by a military buildup. The Reuters-seen Russian note described a dangerous and reckless path with high risks of triggering a direct armed conflict and mentioned the possibility of Russian strikes against alliance member states' decision centers.
The note warned, "a direct armed conflict will break out," and it also said Russia would be ready to mobilize "the entirety of its force arsenal and capabilities, including nuclear weapons" if NATO attempted to isolate Kaliningrad. The dispute also fed into fears about hybrid tactics and the possibility of an air and naval blockade around the enclave, while NATO reiterated its defensive posture and support for Ukraine.