Russia wants to distract attention from its defeats in Ukraine with NATO nuclear blackmail, - Rutte

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has made a tough statement regarding recent threats from Moscow, characterizing them as an attempt to camouflage military failures on the Ukrainian frontline. According to him, the North Atlantic Alliance does not record a direct military threat to its territory, but is closely monitoring all Kremlin rhetoric.

Background and essence of nuclear blackmail

The reason for the NATO leadership's reaction was media reports about a secret or official letter from the Russian authorities. In this message, Moscow allegedly warned the West against attempts to block or cut off the Kaliningrad region from the mainland of the Russian Federation. The Kremlin traditionally backed up these words with threats to use the entire arsenal of deterrence means, including nuclear weapons. Despite the fact that Mark Rutte chose not to publicly confirm the exact content of the mentioned document, he openly called on the Russian leadership to immediately stop the dangerous nuclear rhetoric.

Assessment of the situation and Alliance readiness

Speaking at a specialized Euronews summit on defense and space, the Secretary General emphasized the complete combat readiness of the block. He assured that NATO's military planning takes into account any scenarios, and the security of each ally is guaranteed at the highest level. We have prepared for this, we have planned for this, and this applies to the whole of NATO. We will defend every inch of NATO territory, Rutte said, adding that such intimidation is not taken seriously in the alliance headquarters due to the obvious disparity in military and economic potentials.

Contradictory data

While the NATO leadership insists on the exclusively psychological and distracting nature of Kremlin threats, international experts and officials note an increase in risks in the field of strategic security. For example, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan previously expressed fears that in the event of critical depletion of its forces at the front and in the rear, Moscow might indeed take extreme measures. On the other hand, Russian diplomatic missions, in particular the Russian Embassy in Ireland, continue to issue ultimatums regarding the Kaliningrad transit, emphasizing the immutability of their military doctrine.

Strategic losses of the Russian Federation and Ukraine's position

According to Alliance intelligence estimates, the current escalation is directly related to the catastrophic losses of the Russian army in the Ukrainian direction, which reach 43,000 people monthly killed and severely wounded. Against this background, Ukraine's position looks more stable compared to last year thanks to the continuous support of Western partners. In the current realities, the NATO leadership urges member countries to remain calm, continue to invest in their own defense capabilities and assist Kyiv in every possible way until a just peace is achieved.