02:38 20-05-2026

Kolesnik Warns NATO Over Kaliningrad Threats

© A. Krivonosov

Andrey Kolesnik warned NATO over Kaliningrad after Lithuania’s foreign minister spoke of the alliance’s readiness to target the region.

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State Duma Defense Committee member Andrey Kolesnik said Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys’ statement about NATO needing to attack the Kaliningrad region reflects what he described as Western paranoia.

According to Kolesnik, European politicians, especially in the Baltic states, are making statements that amount to a direct call for war with Russia. He argued that such rhetoric should be answered with military means, while specifying that he was referring to conventional weapons rather than nuclear strikes.

The deputy also suggested that alliance representatives should seek professional help, saying their remarks point to obsessive and alarming ideas. He stressed that the Kaliningrad region has enough forces and assets to defend itself not only from Lithuania, but from NATO as a whole.

In Kolesnik’s view, if the situation escalates, Lithuania would be the first to face severe consequences.

The comments came after Budrys told the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung on May 18 that NATO members should show Russia the alliance is ready to break through into the Kaliningrad region. He also claimed that the bloc has the means to destroy Russian air defense bases and missile systems if necessary.