Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia will use all weapons, including nuclear, to defend Kaliningrad should the West launch a direct attack or blockade.
In a speech at the Valdai foreign policy forum, he said the Kremlin is not threatening anyone, but it will respond forces he deems necessary if aggression occurs. He criticised NATO manoeuvres in the Baltic Sea as provocative and highlighted a surge in hybrid‑war incidents across Poland and the Baltics.
Putin declined to name specific weapons but reiterated that Russia could turn to any armament available, from conventional to nuclear. He stressed that such a response would be inevitable and immediate if Kaliningrad faced a direct attack, warning European citizens to understand the stakes.
The Kremlin also warned of the growing risks linked to artificial intelligence in wartime, calling the automation of warfare a slippery slope toward barbarity and urging a rewrite of the rules of engagement.
