NATO Chief Calls for Calm Amid Russian Nuclear Threats

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has urged calm among allies amid Russia’s nuclear warning, saying that there is “no immediate threat” to NATO territory.

Rutte made the remarks on Sept. 30 at the Euronews Defence & Space Summit in Brussels, Belgium, after Moscow said that an an attempt by a NATO member to strike or blockade its Kaliningrad exclave would be met with a response, including possibly a nuclear one.

Asked whether it was now a real risk that nuclear weapons could deploy, Rutte said, “No, it’s not.”

The NATO secretary-general said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is aware that Russia could not win in a conflict with NATO, so he does not take that threat seriously.

“Of course, we had to reply and make clear to him that NATO is a defensive alliance,” Rutte said, adding that his message to Putin is to “stop the war in Ukraine and stop the nuclear threats because it’s unhelpful. And NATO is so much stronger than Russia, so there’s no way they can ever beat us.”

Rutte urged calm as the best way to deal with the current situation.

“On the NATO side, we can allow a bit of calm, but also a bit of making sure we continue with what we are doing, so we carry on … investing in our defense,” he said.

He added that if Russia were planning an attack on Finland or the Baltic states—which are on NATO’s eastern flank—there would be signs of a buildup, and those countries would sound the alarm.

“There is no imminent threat to NATO territory,” Rutte stressed. “If there is a build-up, we will see it and we will deal with it. If anything happens otherwise, we will also deal with it because we have prepared and trained for this.”

Rutte said that he believes these threats were coming from Moscow because Russia is not doing well in its war with Ukraine, and it seeks to divide Europe and diminish support for Kyiv.

Kaliningrad

The nuclear threats from Moscow followed British media recently speculating on the Russian exclave as a Western target.

Sky TV’s recent four-part documentary-drama series “The Wargame” sees a fictional British Cabinet consider strikes on Russian territory, including Kaliningrad, after a simulated attack on the UK by Moscow. The iPaper also said on Sept. 26 that the territory “once seen as a threat to NATO could now be a weakness for Vladimir Putin that is waiting to be exposed.”

The Russian embassy in the UK, citing both these media outlets, said on Sept. 29, “Any British or NATO military action against Russian territory would be met with a response using all means at Russia’s disposal, including nuclear weapons.”

“Russia has repeatedly made clear that it neither seeks confrontation with NATO and Europe nor intends to attack them. But should anyone choose to unleash such a conflict, they must be under no illusion that Russia will respond accordingly,” it added.

Kaliningrad is a heavily militarized exclave sandwiched between NATO members Lithuania and Poland, serving as the headquarters of Russia’s Baltic Fleet. It is Russia’s only year-round, ice-free port.

Owen Evans contributed to this report.