Putin threatens to nuke NATO for the first time since the Cold War
Russia has warned NATO that it would use nuclear weapons if it attempted to cut off the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
In a document sent to NATO, Russia accused the political and military alliance of ‘dangerous and reckless course’ that came with ‘high risks of the outbreak of a direct armed conflict’, Reuters reports.
It went on to say that this included the possibility of Russia striking NATO member states ‘right from the outset’ before threatening the use of nuclear weapons.
The note continued: “Russia will be ready to use the entire arsenal of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, in order to defend its territory should NATO countries undertake any attempt aimed at isolating the Kaliningrad Region from the rest of the country.”
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The exclave of Kaliningrad, in the Baltic Sea, is situated next to NATO members Poland and Lithuania, and is home to Russia’s main Baltic navy base and other military assets.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed the note and said that it had since responded, The Express reports.
She said: “I can confirm that Russia sent a non-paper to NATO and that we have sent a response, noting that NATO is a defensive Alliance and none of our activities or exercises pose a risk to any part of Russia.
“We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric. We call on Russia to end its unprovoked war in Ukraine.”
In NATO’s response, it wrote: “We call upon the Russian Federation to end its unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We urge the Russian Federation to refrain from increasingly reckless behaviour towards the Allies and to cease its irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.”
Meanwhile, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has since urged Russian President Putin to ‘stop the nuclear threats’ branding them 'unhelpful'.
Speaking at Euronews' Defence and Space Summit in Brussels, Rutte called on Russia to de-escalate tensions.
"We are a defensive alliance,” he said.
“Stop the nuclear threats. This is absolutely not called for and not helpful.
"And particularly stop the war in Ukraine, which is an unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. So we have been clear in our reaction, which was short and concise."
When asked if he believed the threat to attack member states with nuclear weapons was a real risk, Rutte said: “No, it's not. Putin knows that he can never win [against] NATO, so I don't take this that seriously.”
However, a senior European defence official appeared to disagree, telling Reuters: “[This is the] first time since [the] Cold War that Russia is threatening us like this. So this is serious.”
The latest warning from Moscow comes as Russia revealed plans to raise its defence spending to more than £150 billion next year, around 27 percent more than it had originally budgeted and the largest amount spent since it began its war on Ukraine back in 2022.
The figures were revealed in a draft budget which is due to be submitted to the Russian parliament on 1 October.
Topics: World News, Russia, Vladimir Putin, Politics
Claire Reid