Putin Says Russia Will Use All Weapons If Kaliningrad Is Threatened

Kaliningrad Weapon Warning

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the Valdai Forum in Moscow that Russia would consider using all types of weapons in its arsenal if its Kaliningrad enclave on the Baltic were threatened, while he said Russia does not plan to attack any party but would respond if attacked. Putin rejected the idea of a mutual halt to long-range air strikes with Ukraine, saying it would be absurd to require one side to stop bombing oil refineries while the other side stops bombing ships. The Russian Defense Ministry announced it took control of the towns of Visokaya Yaroga in Kharkiv, as well as Niesternoye and Robloniye in the northeast of the province, and it said its fire hit military airfields and infrastructure facilities used by the Ukrainian army.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned in Brussels that the shortage of air-defense missiles in Ukraine will worsen sharply during the coming winter, urging European countries to hand over the rest of their stock of such munitions. Putin also said Russia has lost about 1% of GDP due to Ukrainian strikes on refineries that caused a fuel crisis this summer.

Reporting for this sectionAl-Khaleej

NATO Replies, Merz Joins

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said on Thursday that the alliance does not expect an imminent military attack on the territory of member states, while stressing the need to be prepared for the continuation of what he described as "the aggressive Russian campaigns against the alliance." German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that the "hybrid attacks" Moscow is waging will not deter Berlin from supporting Ukraine, and he said Germany is pursuing a diplomatic solution even though Russia has not yet shown willingness to sit at the negotiating table. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said many European countries are effectively joining the war in Ukraine by providing weapons, munitions, missiles, and experts, and he said Russia considers those countries actually and directly involved in the conflict.

Putin insisted that Russia does not intend to attack anyone, and he warned that it is impossible to guarantee that weapons of mass destruction will never be used. Al-Arabiya Al-Jadid reported Putin said, "If it comes to a direct attack against Russia, specifically against Kaliningrad, the question of using all the weapons we have will be on the table."

Reporting for this sectionAl-Jazirah NetAl-Arabiya Al-Jadid

Deterrence Stakes and Escalation

An Anadolu Ajansı report said Putin told the Vladai Discussion Club in Moscow that any direct attack on Russia or attempt to annex its exclave in the Kaliningrad region would inevitably raise the issue of using "all weapons and means at Moscow’s disposal."

Putin said Russia has no plans to attack anyone, "neither in 2029, nor in 2030, nor in 2050," but he said Russia would respond if it faced aggression.

Al-‘Arabiyah reported NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded to Russia’s message by saying, "We are a defensive alliance. Stop the nuclear threats. This is entirely unjustified and futile."

Al-‘Arabiyah also quoted a written NATO reply that said, "Any NATO activity or exercises do not pose a threat to the territory of the Russian Federation."

ECCI Bonn researcher Jassim Mohammed warned that Kaliningrad tensions test the deterrence equation between Moscow and NATO, and he said Russia was ready to use its full military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, if its lands were subjected to what it considers a direct threat.

Reporting for this sectionAnadolu AjansıAl-‘Arabiyah