NATO chief confirms receipt of Russian warning over potential Kaliningrad blockade

TASS

BRUSSELS, September 30. /TASS/. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte confirmed that the alliance had received a warning from Russia that it would use its entire arsenal, including nuclear weapons, if NATO attempted to impose an air or naval blockade on the Kaliningrad Region.

"I’m not at liberty to disclose what they sent us, but this is what they reported, more or less," Rutte said at the Euronews Defense and Space Summit 2026 in Brussels.

At the same time, he urged the Baltic states to stop worrying and NATO members to continue supporting Ukraine and investing in weapons. The NATO chief reiterated that "NATO is a defensive alliance."

Rutte also noted that he doesn’t believe in a threat from Russia.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Wednesday that Russia’s policy documents provide for a nuclear response to any attempts to blockade the Kaliningrad Region and that this is what Russian diplomats are reminding hotheads in Europe about.

Earlier, the Russian Embassy in Brussels said it had sent a diplomatic warning to the Belgian government and NATO headquarters that Brussels’ "reckless and irresponsible" course "sharply increases the risks of a direct armed conflict" with Russia. The embassy also warned that Russia "is prepared to deploy its entire arsenal to defend its territory should NATO countries attempt to isolate the Kaliningrad Region."

Fonte: TASS