NATO has condemned a Russian nuclear threat over Kaliningrad after Moscow warned that it could use its entire military arsenal, including nuclear weapons, if Alliance members attempted to isolate the Russian exclave from the rest of the country.
Russia issued the warning in an informal document sent to NATO, according to TV 2 Norge, which cites the German news agency DPA.
The document accuses NATO of escalating the military and political situation around Kaliningrad, a Russian region on the Baltic Sea located between Poland and Lithuania.
According to the Russian message, any attempt by NATO countries to isolate the region could trigger a military response.
“Russia will be ready to use the entire arsenal of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, to defend its territory if NATO countries make any attempt to isolate the Kaliningrad region from the rest of the country.”
Moscow also called on NATO members to refrain from what it described as further destabilising and escalatory actions in order to avoid a large-scale confrontation.
NATO rejects the nuclear threat
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed that the Alliance had received the informal Russian document and had responded to it.
“NATO is a defensive alliance, and none of our activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russia.”
Hart said the Alliance “strongly condemns the threat of the use of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric”, and again called on Russia to end its war against Ukraine.
She added that NATO would not allow Russian pressure to weaken its support for Kyiv.
“We have what it takes to defend every inch of allied territory, and we remain strong, ready and capable of meeting any threat.”
The warning comes amid heightened military activity around the Baltic region. On 18 August, allied aircraft took part in a large-scale, USA-led exercise over Poland and the Baltic area, including flights close to Kaliningrad. The operation involved strike aircraft, aerial refuelling, surveillance and electronic warfare capabilities.
DPA reported, citing sources familiar with the exercise, that it was intended to demonstrate the Alliance’s ability to gain control around Kaliningrad in the event of Russian military aggression against NATO territory. Poland’s Defence Ministry described the activity more broadly as a demonstration of the Alliance’s ability to react rapidly.
Why Kaliningrad matters for NATO
Kaliningrad has a particularly sensitive position on NATO’s north-eastern flank. The Russian exclave borders Poland and Lithuania, both members of NATO and the European Union, and lies close to the Suwałki corridor, the land connection between Poland and the Baltic states.
The area has therefore become an important part of the military balance between Russia and NATO in the Baltic region.
Russia has repeatedly used nuclear rhetoric during periods of confrontation with NATO and Western countries. The Alliance has in turn accused Moscow of using nuclear signalling as a form of strategic intimidation, while maintaining that its own activities on the eastern flank are aimed at deterrence and collective defence.
The latest exchange adds another point of tension around the Baltic Sea, where NATO members have strengthened their military presence since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
