Putin says Russia would use all weapons, including nuclear, to defend Kaliningrad

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that if Kaliningrad — or possibly other Russian territory — came under direct attack, Moscow would immediately put “all arms” at its disposal on the table, remarks that follow a week of Russian warnings about an alleged NATO plan to blockade the Baltic exclave.

Speaking at the Valdai foreign policy forum, Putin insisted Russia was “not threatening anyone” and did not intend to attack anyone in 2029, 2030 or 2050, but said it would respond to aggression. He accused NATO of staging Baltic naval manoeuvres that posed serious threats to Kaliningrad and said that if the territory were cut off from the rest of Russia, Moscow would be prepared to use all means and forces, including nuclear weapons. He did not specify which weapons would be used in a given scenario, while noting Russia holds capabilities he said others lack.

NATO has pushed back. Spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed Russia sent a written message to the alliance and said NATO “strongly denounce[s] the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,” stressing that none of its activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russia. Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance’s reply was short: it is a defensive alliance, and the nuclear threat is “absolutely not called for and not helpful.” Rutte also urged continued support for Ukraine as Russia’s full-scale war enters its fifth year.

The exchange lands amid heightened hybrid-warfare alerts in Poland and the Baltics, including a reported Russian helicopter intrusion near Kaliningrad and drone incidents. For Ottawa and other NATO capitals, Putin’s Kaliningrad framing keeps nuclear signalling tied to routine alliance exercises — raising the cost of miscalculation even as Western leaders insist the alliance is not preparing an attack on Russian territory.

Sources: BBC News; NBC News / Associated Press.