Putin Threatens 'All Arsenal' If Russia Faces Direct Attack

President Vladimir Putin reiterated on Thursday that Russia is not planning to attack European countries but warned it would respond to aggression with "all weapons" in its arsenal. Speaking at a foreign policy forum, Putin accused the West and Europe of escalating tensions through discussions about preparing for a war with Moscow in the coming years, conducting military drills in the Baltic Sea, and seizing Russian vessels. These remarks followed a previous warning from Moscow to NATO, stating that Russia would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad should any NATO members attempt to cut off the Baltic exclave from the rest of Russia. Several Russian embassies across Europe issued statements this week indicating Moscow possesses "information that NATO is preparing (an) air and naval blockade of Kaliningrad and (the) Kaliningrad region." These embassies accused European leaders of "playing a dangerous game" by suggesting Russia might attack another country or intensify a campaign of destabilizing attacks involving drones and sabotage, allegations Moscow has dismissed as absurd. The Russian Embassy in Ireland, in a statement released on Tuesday, declared, "There should be no mistake — Russia would be ready to use all its arsenal, including nuclear weapons, to defend its territory if NATO countries try to isolate (the) Kaliningrad region from the rest of the country." When questioned at the Valdai Club forum on Thursday about whether Russia was nearing a war with NATO or if both sides were engaged in mutual intimidation, Putin responded, "It’s not intimidation, it’s a response to an attempt to intimidate us." He affirmed that the earlier warning to NATO was "written correctly." Putin elaborated, "If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation — in this case we mean Kaliningrad, or maybe some other territories — of course, inevitably and immediately the question of Russian Federation using all weapons at the disposal of our country will appear on the agenda." He did not specify further details regarding the potential use of these weapons.