Putin Warns Russia Will Use Full Arsenal if Kaliningrad Is Attacked

Russian President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday that Moscow would inevitably use its entire arsenal, including nuclear weapons, in response to any direct attack on the Kaliningrad exclave or other Russian territory. Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club, Putin said Russia is not intimidating anyone but must respond to aggression, citing the country's unique hypersonic weapons as a competitive advantage. He referenced a Russian embassy document to NATO warning against attempts to isolate Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad, the former Königsberg annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945, borders Poland, Lithuania, and the Baltic Sea. NATO has accused Russia of employing military rhetoric over warnings against a potential air and sea blockade of the region.