Rumors Of War: Moscow issues warning to NATO over Russian exclave

Moscow issues warning to NATO over Russian exclave

RT

Increased NATO military exercises near Russia’s Kaliningrad Region and aggressive rhetoric from members of the US-led bloc are raising the risk of a direct armed conflict, Moscow has warned.

Russia has sent NATO a warning stressing its determination to protect the Russian exclave in the Baltic region “with its entire available arsenal,” according to a statement published on Monday by the Russian Embassy in Belgium, which hosts the bloc’s headquarters.

The message alluded to remarks made earlier this month by Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who said there are “hardly any troops” in Kaliningrad Region and urged NATO to increase its military posture near Russia’s borders so that Moscow would be “uncertain of what we will do.”

NATO spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed receiving the Russian message and accused Moscow of irresponsible rhetoric.

”We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,” she said.

Western officials have frequently described Russian statements invoking its nuclear deterrent as “blackmail,”while presenting NATO’s own nuclear-sharing arrangements as a pillar of collective defense.

France has offered to discuss the possible deployment of its nuclear weapons in other European NATO countries, arguing that this could reduce the bloc’s dependence on the US. 

Under NATO’s existing nuclear-sharing arrangements, American nuclear bombs are stored in several European countries, while personnel from non-nuclear member states train for missions involving their potential use.

Russia has repeatedly rejected Western claims that it intends to attack NATO before the end of the decade, describing such warnings as warmongering aimed at persuading voters to support sharply higher military spending.

Moscow, in turn, views NATO’s military preparations as potentially paving the way for an attack on Russia. Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has repeatedly warned that any such conflict would be extremely brief, implying that Moscow could resort to nuclear weapons.

The Russian Embassy in Ireland used more direct language, saying on Tuesday that Moscow is prepared to use nuclear weapons in response to an attempted NATO blockade of Kaliningrad Region and may consider pre-emptive military action in such a crisis.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday it was “natural for our diplomats to try and remind hotheads in Europe about our doctrinal documents,”in response to the rhetoric coming from Poland and other nations.

NATO condemns ‘nuclear rhetoric’ in tense exchange with Russia

BLOOMBERG

NATO condemned Russian nuclear threats after publicly acknowledging a tense exchange with Moscow over its exclave of Kaliningrad.

The military alliance replied to a Russian message by “noting that NATO is a defensive alliance and none of our activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russia,” spokeswoman Allison Hart said in a written statement on Tuesday. “We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,” she said.

NATO was responding to a warning issued by the Russian Embassy in Belgium that the alliance’s “reckless and irresponsible approach” regarding Kaliningrad “sharply increases the risks of a direct military confrontation,” the state-run Tass news agency reported on Monday. Russia also warned it was ready to use its entire arsenal of weapons to defend its Baltic territory if the alliance tried to cut it off from the rest of the country.

The message was sent to both NATO and the Belgian foreign ministry and called on “the bloc’s member states to refrain from further escalatory rhetoric and actions in order to prevent a large-scale confrontation,” Tass said.

The unusually direct exchange underscores the deep tensions in relations between the alliance and Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022. That’s especially true as European officials and intelligence services have been warning of an intensifying hybrid campaign directed from Moscow, which they increasingly think could result in civilian casualties.

It was unclear what specifically prompted Russia’s statement, though widely reported NATO air exercises held in Poland and the Baltic states near Kaliningrad in mid-August may have played a role.

“Russia’s use of hybrid tactics is a sign of desperation,” Hart said in her statement. “We will not be dissuaded from our support to Ukraine. We have what it takes to defend every inch of allied territory and remain strong, ready, and able to counter any threat,” she said.

NATO has said it has increased its vigilance regarding Russian sabotage and covert activities. While the treaty organization lets countries respond individually, it insists the alliance is taking a more proactive approach, without specifying what that entails.