Putin says Russia will use 'all weapons' if Kaliningrad is threatened
Putin repeated a warning that Russia would use its full arsenal if its Kaliningrad exclave faced a threat, in a speech at the Valdai forum.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow that the continuation of international conflicts is "unfortunately very likely" as the world changes, Moldovan outlet Jurnal.md reported, though he said he believes the situation will improve as what he called "Western hegemony" declines.
"Fundamental changes under way, and the opportunities they present, feed ambitions and the willingness to take risks in hope of apparently huge gains," Putin said, according to Jurnal.md.
Putin repeated Russia's warning that it would consider using "all weapons in our arsenal" if the Kaliningrad exclave faced a threat, language he said echoed a warning letter Moscow sent to NATO last month. He said Russia has a "competitive advantage" in defending its territory.
He said Russia "will not attack anyone" and does not intend to attack a European country, "not in 2030, nor in 2050," but then said Western intelligence help for Ukraine to strike deep inside Russian territory "constitutes a threat for the future."
Asked about nuclear risk, Putin said: "Can we be sure this weapon will never be used? Of course not. We must take that into account and avoid it," adding that technology could lead to "global destruction" and that avoiding "catastrophic scenarios" required international reflection.
Kaliningrad, formerly the German city of Königsberg, was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945 and has no direct border with Russia; it sits between Poland, Lithuania and the Baltic Sea. NATO countries have carried out several military exercises near the exclave's borders in recent months, prompting Moscow last month to send NATO a document that also raised the possibility of strikes against decision-making centres in NATO member states, according to a copy cited by Jurnal.md.
Russia's foreign ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, formally restated the same warning in an official answer to a media question, the ministry said, confirming that a nuclear response could follow any attempt to blockade Kaliningrad. Putin separately criticised Western military exercises and the detention of Russian vessels as "escalation." NATO condemned what it called Russia's "irresponsible nuclear rhetoric" contained in the warning document Moscow sent over Kaliningrad, Jurnal.md reported.
What we know
- Putin repeated a warning that Russia would use all weapons in its arsenal if Kaliningrad faced a threat.
- He said Russia does not intend to attack a European country, while also citing Western help for Ukraine as a future threat.
- Russia's foreign ministry has restated that a nuclear response could follow any blockade attempt on Kaliningrad.
- NATO has condemned Russia's warning document over Kaliningrad as irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Kaliningrad sits between NATO members Poland and Lithuania with no direct link to Russian territory, making it a long-standing flashpoint. Repeated nuclear references tied specifically to the exclave, following a formal warning letter to NATO, keep European security planners focused on a potential crisis point on the alliance's eastern flank.
Live updates
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Updated with new reports from our sources.
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Updated with new reports from our sources.
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Updated with new reports from our sources.
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Foreign ministry spokeswoman Zakharova formally confirms Russia's nuclear-strike warning over a Kaliningrad blockade.
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Updated with new reports from our sources.
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Updated with new reports from our sources.
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Updated with new reports from our sources.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 3 countries.
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Questions and answers
- What did Putin say about Kaliningrad?
- He repeated a warning that Russia would consider using all weapons in its arsenal if the Kaliningrad exclave faced a threat.
- Did Putin say Russia would attack Europe?
- No. He said Russia does not intend to attack a European country, while also warning that Western support for Ukrainian strikes into Russia posed a future threat.
- How has NATO responded?
- NATO condemned what it called Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric contained in the warning document Moscow sent over Kaliningrad.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.