Russia asserts it will respond to threats against Kaliningrad
Geneva (ANTARA) - Russia will respond to “any action” that threatens its sovereignty or targets the civilian population in Kaliningrad, said a senior Russian diplomat on Thursday (1/10), amidst rising tensions between Moscow and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) regarding the Russian exclave.
“Any threat to the sovereignty or any attack targeting the civilian population of the Russian Federation, including in Kaliningrad, must receive an unlimited response in terms of protecting our sovereignty and our people,” said Rodion Miroshnik, Ambassador-at-Large for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to journalists in Geneva.
“Any action that threatens our sovereignty will receive a firm response,” he said during a meeting at the Russian Embassy.
An exclave is a part of a country’s territory that is geographically separated from the mainland and surrounded by the territory of one or more foreign countries.
When asked whether a blockade of Kaliningrad would constitute one of these “red lines,” Mirosh $ ext{nik}$ reaffirmed that “any action” against the Russian civilian population would be considered a threat to its sovereignty.
“Kaliningrad is no different from other regions of the Russian Federation,” he said, adding that the territory “receives the same protection as other parts of the Russian state.”
These statements were made after Russia warned NATO that it could use nuclear weapons if the alliance attempts to cut off access to Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave in the Baltic Sea situated between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, on Wednesday, confirmed that the alliance had received communications from Russia but declined to disclose the specific details of the message.
He urged Moscow to “stop nuclear threats” and emphasised that NATO is a defensive alliance.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has also ordered measures to ensure the security of Kaliningrad, according to Kremlin Advisor Nikolai Patrushev, who warned of an “appropriate and immediate response” to any aggressive actions.
Separately, when asked regarding Russia’s preference in the selection process for the next UN Secretary-General, Miroshnik stated he could not assess which candidate would be “more or less acceptable” to Moscow.
However, he noted that Russia “wishes the next Secretary-General does not act in the same manner as Mr (Antonio) Guterres.”
Guterres’s second term ends on 31 December, and his successor is scheduled to take office in January 2027.