Putin warns Russia will use nuclear arms to defend its territory

President Vladimir Putin warned Thursday that Russia would use "all weapons," including nuclear arms, to defend its territory if attacked, specifically citing the Kaliningrad exclave amid rising tensions with NATO. Putin accused the West of escalating tensions through military drills in the Baltic Sea and seizing Russian vessels, framing his remarks as a response to intimidation. He said Russia has weapons "no one else has" but did not specify conditions for nuclear use. NATO rejected the nuclear rhetoric, calling it irresponsible, and reaffirmed its defensive posture. The alliance urged Russia to end its war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year, while Kaliningrad remains a strategic flashpoint between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.