NATO is not preparing a blockade of the Kaliningrad region and claims about such a scenario do not correspond to reality. This was stated by the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, quoted by RBC.
„On the eastern flank, the situation is serious, but it is under control. I want to be very clear: NATO is not preparing any blockade of Kaliningrad. This is a threat built on a scenario that does not exist“, Dragone said.
At the same time, the senior representative of the Alliance stressed that NATO has the necessary military means and tools for effective deterrence and rapid response to a possible threat. According to him, the organization is not seeking a confrontation with Russia, as such a policy does not correspond to its character as a defensive alliance.
„NATO does not threaten anyone. The best victory is the one for which we do not have to fight. That is why we must ensure that our collective deterrence system is convincing and up-to-date“, Dragone also said.
His statement comes after a series of sharp exchanges between Moscow and European representatives on the security of Kaliningrad - the Russian Baltic Sea region located between Poland and Lithuania and separated from the mainland of Russia.
The Kremlin has already accused representatives of European countries of making extreme statements regarding Kaliningrad. Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov called on Europe to “temper its flame“ and stressed that the Kaliningrad region is an integral part of the Russian Federation.
According to Peskov, similar statements have repeatedly come from Poland and other European countries. The Russian Foreign Ministry, for its part, stated in May that NATO was working on scenarios for isolating the Kaliningrad region, warning that possible such actions would not remain without consequences. It is the existence of such a plan that is now categorically denied by the chairman of the NATO Military Committee.
Tensions increased further in September. On September 12, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski called on NATO to step up military exercises near the Kaliningrad region. Back in June, Politico reported on strengthening the defense of the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea in the context of the Alliance's preparations for a possible conflict with Russia. The island is located about 300 kilometers from the Kaliningrad region.
Moscow, in turn, issued several warnings about the consequences of a possible attempt to isolate the region. In late May, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that in the event of a threat, the security of Kaliningrad would be guaranteed with all the military means at Russia's disposal, noting that the relevant tasks were also set before the Russian Navy.
Putin then reacted to a statement by Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kēstutis Budris, according to whom NATO had the means, if necessary, to destroy Russian air defense systems and missile complexes in Kaliningrad. The Russian president replied that Moscow had the means to retaliate against those who would make such an attempt.
At the end of September, the Russian embassy in Ireland went even further, admitting the possibility of a nuclear response in the event of an attempt to isolate Kaliningrad. Warnings about the consequences of a possible blockade were also issued by Russian diplomatic missions in Belgium and the United Kingdom.
Kaliningrad is of particular strategic importance to Moscow due to its location in the Baltic region and the presence of Russian military forces. The region borders two NATO countries - Poland and Lithuania - and after Finland and Sweden joined the Alliance, the Baltic Sea has become even more important for the defense planning of both NATO and Russia.
Against this background, Dragone's statement is an attempt to clearly distinguish between strengthening defense and deterrence on NATO's eastern flank and Moscow's claims that the Alliance is planning immediate actions to isolate Kaliningrad.