Threats by nuclear-armed states against their adversaries are usually implicit. But Russia, this week, made such a threat explicit and directed it at NATO. According to Reuters, Russia this week sent a document to NATO in which it threatened to resort to using nuclear weapons if NATO enforces a blockade of the Kaliningrad region on the Baltic Sea — an idea that seems to have originated in a British TV broadcast.
In the document, which Reuters obtained, the Kremlin accused the alliance of engaging in a “dangerous and reckless course” that Russia stated posed a risk of “the outbreak of a direct armed conflict.”
Russian Mobile ICBM Nuclear Weapons. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Image Credit: Creative Commons. Image is of a Russian missile being tested.
Russia went on to threaten strikes on “decision-making centers” in NATO member states and stated that it was ready to utilize its “entire arsenal,” specifically including nuclear weapons, in the event of a threat to its sovereignty.
Russian embassies in Europe, per Reuters, issued warnings this week about potential “exercises and planning scenarios” involving Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad is a region of Russia and the capital of the province of the same name; it’s wedged between Poland and Lithuania, both NATO member states.
Why does Russia think NATO is threatening Kaliningrad? The truth of that is incredibly bizarre.
As reported by Newsweek, British broadcaster Sky News recently aired a miniseries called The Wargame, which dramatized a completely fictitious Russian attack on the U.K., which was followed by Britain authorizing military operations in Kaliningrad.
But the scenario was, as the title suggests, a war game.
Following the broadcast, the Russian embassy in Britain stated that those who push such notions “should have no illusions about the consequences.”
NATO Responds to Russian Nuclear Threats
Meanwhile, NATO responded to Russia’s threats in a document Reuters also viewed.
The document reiterated that NATO is a defensive alliance and that none of its activities pose a threat to Russia’s territorial integrity.
The response also called on Russia to cease its “unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine,” and to cease its “irresponsible nuclear rhetoric.”
Tu-160 Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Creative Commons.
Tu-160M Bomber from Russia. Image Credit: Russian Military/Creative Commons.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also issued a public response, while speaking Wednesday at the Euronews Defense and Space Summit.
Rutte was clear that the alliance does not face an “imminent threat” from Russia, which was a reference to both Russia’s statement this week and to recent reports of “hybrid attacks” that have taken place throughout Europe.
But Rutte reiterated that NATO is a defensive alliance and that Russia should end its invasion of Ukraine. He also called the nuclear threats “absolutely not called for and not helpful.”
Other Reactions From Europe
Reuters quoted one senior European Defense official as expressing concern about the Russian warnings, saying Russia had not issued that sort of threat against Europe since the end of the Cold War.
John Foreman, a former U.K. defense attaché, said something similar to Newsweek, stating that Russia-U.K. relations are now at their lowest point since the early days of the Cold War.
“It’s been downhill since 2014,” Foreman told Newsweek, referring to the year Russia attacked and annexed Crimea. The relationship, he added, has “plunged” since Russia attacked Ukraine in 2022 and Britain joined the alliance in support of Ukraine.
In addition, per Euronews, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said at the summit that after the Russian nuclear threat, Europe must engage in diplomacy in order to avoid a “worst-case scenario.”
However, European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius, also speaking at the summit, said diplomacy is not the answer and that Vladimir Putin “needs to feel that war is coming to Russia itself.”
And per Ukrinform, Lithuanian presidential adviser Davydas Matulionis “rejected” Russia’s nuclear front, which centers on a region very close to Lithuania’s borders.
While condemning the threats, he went on to call the nuclear threats “unfounded,” and something best viewed as “a means of psychological pressure.” He also vowed that Lithuania will remain unfazed in its support for Ukraine.
What Would Happen?
Speaking last week, Rutte had said, of the Russian hybrid attacks, that not all responses by NATO to the attacks would be public.
However, if Russia were to launch a full-on attack on a NATO country, it would trigger Article 5 and oblige the other NATO members to treat that as an attack on all, which could trigger a World War. However, we are several steps away from that.
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
