The Kremlin threatened to use nuclear weapons against the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) if the Alliance attempts to cut off its Kaliningrad exclave from mainland Russia following several military exercises near the oblast’s borders. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called on Russia to cease nuclear threats and emphasized NATO’s purely defensive nature in response.
Kaliningrad’s regional identity and pro-European orientation, relative to the rest of Russia, have increasingly clashed with Moscow’s policies as the Russian economy deteriorates. The Kremlin eliminated regional political parties in 2001 and transformed the exclave into a heavily militarized outpost facing NATO.
Putin’s nuclear threats over Kaliningrad appear aimed at portraying Russia as under siege while obscuring the Kremlin’s role in tensions with NATO, including its war against Ukraine and hybrid war against the European Union. Despite Moscow’s claims, NATO military action against the exclave remains extremely unlikely absent a major Russian escalation.
by Jamestown Foundation – Putin Makes Nuclear Threats Over Kaliningrad – Jamestown
