Putin warns Russia will use nuclear weapons if NATO attacks or blockades Kaliningrad

Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a blunt and stern warning to NATO countries. Addressing the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, he said that if NATO attacked Russia's Kaliningrad region on the Baltic Sea, or tried to impose a military blockade on it, Russia would not hold back from using nuclear weapons in response.

Putin is said to have repeated the possibility of using nuclear weapons twice within a single hour, causing a stir internationally. The statement comes as the war between Russia and Ukraine is about to complete five years.

In his speech, Putin said clearly that Russia has no intention of attacking or invading any European country. But according to him, if the Western countries take any aggressive step or pose a threat to the Russian border, the Russian military is fully prepared to give an extremely harsh response.

Reasons for Moscow's hardening stance on Kaliningrad have also been cited. NATO forces have been holding military exercises near the region, and threats have also been made to stop Russian ships passing through the Baltic Sea. In late September, the Russian Foreign Ministry also warned that any attempt at an air or sea blockade would be treated as tantamount to a declaration of war.

Kaliningrad is a Russian region that is not connected to the Russian mainland by land. The small territory lies on the Baltic Sea and borders Poland and Lithuania, both full members of NATO. Being cut off from the mainland makes it a challenge for Russia to secure it militarily, yet its strategic importance is very great.

The entire region stays free of ice 365 days a year, so the Russian Navy's Baltic Fleet is always stationed there. For Russia it is something like a strong military fortress. With the modern missile systems deployed there, Russia can target major European cities such as Berlin, Warsaw, Copenhagen and Stockholm in very little time. For this reason, NATO countries view Russian military activity in Kaliningrad with suspicion and fear.

Meanwhile, aggression from both sides has grown in the fifth year of the war. With winter approaching, Russia has stepped up missile strikes on Kyiv and Ukraine's energy infrastructure to break Ukraine's supply lines. On the other side, Ukraine has carried out deadly drone attacks on oil refineries deep inside Russia.

The drone attacks have caused severe fuel shortages in several large Russian cities, with long queues of vehicles seen at petrol pumps. The attacks have put heavy pressure on a Russian economy that was already in difficulty before the war. Ordinary citizens have also borne the brunt of cyber attacks on Russia's online businesses and digital systems. NATO says Russia is resorting to hybrid warfare to weaken the unity of Western countries. Putin's latest nuclear threat has deepened fears of a third world war.