During his traditional end-of-year Q&A on Friday, President Vladimir Putin warned that any attempt by European states to blockade Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave would trigger an “unprecedented escalation” and could expand into large-scale armed conflict.
The Russian leader made the remarks when asked how Moscow would respond if NATO members sought to impose a blockade on the country’s westernmost region—a landlocked territory bordered by Lithuania and Poland. Putin stated he hoped such actions would not occur but insisted: “If they create threats of this kind, we will eliminate those threats.”
He further cautioned that such measures would lead to an escalation “unprecedented to date… taking it to a completely different level… up to a large-scale armed conflict.”
Russian officials have repeatedly warned against steps that could isolate Kaliningrad. Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko previously urged European leaders to avoid “playing with fire” around the exclave, emphasizing the need for “common sense” in the region.
Kaliningrad relies on rail and road links through Lithuanian territory to connect with Russia. Tensions flared following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022 when Lithuania restricted rail transit of goods subject to EU sanctions between Kaliningrad and Moscow. Rail traffic was later partially restored after a temporary resolution.
Some Western leaders, including those from Poland and the Baltic states, have previously called for attacks on Kaliningrad in the event of broader conflict with Moscow. Russian authorities maintain that Kaliningrad poses no threat to the EU or U.S.-led military alliances, characterizing such statements as evidence of hostile intent.
