If Russia Is Attacked, All Weapons Will Be Used, Putin Warns NATO

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia is not planning to attack any European country. However, if Kaliningrad or any other Russian territory is directly attacked, Russia will use all its weapons to defend itself. Putin made this statement at the Valdai Forum in Moscow on Thursday.

Putin said that Russia wants to live peacefully with Europe. But if it is attacked, the question of using all available weapons will immediately arise. He also said that this situation would be serious for Russia.

Why did tension increase over Kaliningrad?

Kaliningrad is Russia's westernmost region. Located between NATO member states Poland and Lithuania, Russia has a significant military presence there. Russia has warned NATO that it could use nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad if it attempts to cut it off from the rest of Russia.

Tensions have risen between Russia and NATO over this issue. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte stated that NATO's military structure is defensive and that threats of nuclear weapons are not helpful. Relations between Russia and the West have been strained since the outbreak of the Ukraine war in 2022. European countries have also accused Russia of escalating so-called hybrid warfare through acts of sabotage and arson, a charge Russia denies.

Putin ready for meeting with Xi Jinping and Trump

Putin said that the ever-escalating tensions could lead to a point of no return. He urged the world's nations not to create situations that could lead to the use of weapons of mass destruction. Putin also stated that he was ready for a trilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump, but that the agenda for the meeting must be finalized first.

Regarding the Ukraine war, Putin stated that Russia will not stop attacking Ukrainian targets in the Black Sea region. He acknowledged that Ukrainian attacks have damaged Russian oil refineries and caused a loss of approximately 1% of Russia's GDP. However, he stated that Russia is not currently planning to attack European arms factories that supply weapons to Ukraine.