moscow —
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned Western countries against an escalation of the war in Ukraine, saying Russia is ready to use “all weapons” including nuclear weapons if the Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad is attacked.
Speaking at Moscow’s Valdai Discussion Club on Thursday, the Russian leader said he had no plans to attack European countries but was ready to respond to Western aggression if necessary, referring to Russian territory sandwiched between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.
Putin says Russia will consider using all weapons in its arsenal if Kaliningrad is threatened
His warning comes in the wake of recent NATO military exercises near Kaliningrad, which NATO says are defensive exercises meant to strengthen deterrence. These exercises have raised strong concerns in the Russian government, which in late September warned of retaliation if NATO attempted to blockade the enclave by air or sea.
“Exercise after exercise in the Baltic Sea … and attempts to seize our ships and ships. This is all an escalation. And we started hearing statements about the Kaliningrad region,” Putin said.
“When it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation, in this case Kaliningrad, and perhaps other territories, the question of using all the weapons in our arsenal will naturally come up on the agenda. This is inevitable,” he warned.
NATO, several European countries and the United Kingdom have accused Russia of waging a hybrid war of cyberattacks, sabotage and espionage aimed at crushing support for Ukraine.
Russia’s war in Ukraine, dubbed a “special military operation” by the Kremlin, is now in its fifth year, but Putin shows no signs of slowing down, stepping up attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and capital Kiev ahead of an expected bitterly cold winter.
However, recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil refineries caused widespread fuel shortages and shattered any illusions that the conflict’s effects would be far beyond ordinary Russians.
Long lines of cars were seen at gas stations in major cities, while the blow to Russia’s biggest online retailer increased pressure on an already strained wartime economy.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy regularly refers to Ukrainian drone strikes deep in Russian territory as “long-range sanctions” aimed at reducing Russia’s revenue and military power and forcing the Kremlin into negotiations.
In a speech to foreign policy and international affairs scholars on Thursday, President Putin acknowledged that Ukraine’s attacks were hurting Russia’s economy, saying Russia had lost 1% of its gross domestic product and that more than 100 Russian ships had been sunk in Ukrainian military exercises in the Black Sea.
However, President Putin also made it clear that he remains undaunted.
“In the Black Sea — it’s a war zone. We attacked warships and ships transporting military cargo, and we made very few mistakes. Throughout this story, they (Ukraine) destroyed more than 100 of our ships. Well, we started fighting back, and now we’re being bombarded with protests from all directions. ‘Oh, don’t do that,’ Putin said.”
“It’s the same story with our oil refineries. They (Ukraine) have publicly stated that their goal is to damage our economy. Did they succeed? In part – according to our estimates, our country lost about 1 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP). . And it was done on purpose – after all, these are civilian targets. Well, they had a mirror image reaction, ”Putin added, avoiding that it was Russia that launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Putin’s admission of economic damage came a day after he told newly elected members of Russia’s lower house of parliament, where his backing United Russia party was expected to maintain a majority, that Russia’s economy was stable.
Taking the opportunity to criticize Ukraine, the Russian president on Wednesday mocked Kiev’s dependence on financial aid from its Western allies.
He warned MPs that “mistakes, especially now, will never be tolerated.” “Unlike some countries, we do not condemn, but Russia cannot run around the world humiliating (its own country) by reaching out and asking for handouts,” he said.
“Firstly, because, as I have already said, this is humiliating. Secondly, no one will give us anything, and we know it very well. And thirdly, and most importantly, we do not need it. Russia’s financial system and economy are safe,” he continued.
President Putin has signaled in recent weeks that he has no intention of withdrawing from the Ukraine war, but has also said he wants to end the conflict through talks.
Before the election, Putin said the results would show Russians were united by the military and its goals, but independent pollster Levada Center found in an August poll that 59% of Russians supported a move toward peace talks.
In a further sign that Putin has no intention of slowing down “special military operations,” budget documents reviewed by Reuters show Russia plans to spend 17.1 trillion rubles ($205.112 billion) on defense in 2027, about 27% more than the original budget and the highest level since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
