In the course of the address, Putin further blamed Western powers for fomenting various conflicts around the globe.
“If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation, in this case we are talking about Kaliningrad but possibly some other territories, of course the issue of use by the Russian Federation of all arms at the disposal of our country will inevitably and immediately be on the agenda,” he said.
He criticized NATO’s recent naval exercises in the Baltic Sea, arguing they constituted a serious threat to Kaliningrad. Should the territory face a Western blockade, he stated that Russia would be prepared to employ all available means and forces, including nuclear weapons.
“We are not threatening anyone. We do not intend to attack anyone in 2029, in 2030, in 2050. But if we come across an aggression we will have to respond. Citizens of European countries should be fully aware of that.”
He acknowledged the nuclear capabilities of nations such as the UK and France, though he maintained that Russia’s own arsenal remained unparalleled.
Western strategists have long feared that, rather than invading Kaliningrad directly, Russia might exploit the narrow corridor between the exclave and its ally Belarus, known as the Suwalki Gap, to seize Lithuanian territory by force.
Lithuania’s prime minister told the BBC last week that his country had drawn up evacuation plans in the event of a Russian invasion, noting that thousands of NATO troops are currently stationed there.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte made clear on Wednesday that none of the alliance’s “exercises or activities” posed any threat to Moscow, dismissing the Kremlin’s messaging as “absolutely not called for and not helpful”.
Putin spent time discussing how leading global powers possess armaments capable of “swiping away all life or at least push[ing] the Earth to catastrophic consequences,” noting that unfortunately, no one can be certain they will never be used.
He drew an analogy of a gun placed on a theatre stage—if present at the start of the show, it would inevitably be fired by the end.
He appeared to advocate for rewriting the rules of warfare while warning of the escalating risks associated with artificial intelligence.
“The automation and digitalisation of warfare leads to its gamification. This leads to degradation and sliding back of humanity to barbarity,” he said.