NATO Attack on Kaliningrad Could Trigger Russian Nuclear Response, Expert Says

NATO Kaliningrad Attack Could Trigger Nuclear Response

05:00 19-08-2026

Military expert Alexander Mikhailov says any NATO attack on Kaliningrad could trigger a Russian nuclear response amid rising European defense spending.

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Military expert Alexander Mikhailov believes the German newspaper Bild is acting as a conduit for U.S. information policy in Europe.

According to Mikhailov, Washington is trying to create a level of public anxiety across Europe that would make higher military spending appear necessary to ordinary citizens. He pointed out that U. S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly called on NATO members to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.

Mikhailov argues that this is why Western media outlets increasingly discuss the prospect of a war with Russia in 2029 or 2030. In his view, such reporting is intended to convince Europeans that the «Russian threat» is real and to encourage governments to spend more on new weapons, including purchases from the United States.

He said this also explains why publications such as Bild regularly run stories about a possible conflict with Russia, often placing particular emphasis on the Kaliningrad Region.

Mikhailov stressed that any actual NATO attempt to attack Kaliningrad would trigger a nuclear response from Russia. For that reason, he believes the current rhetoric is not about preparations for a specific military operation against Moscow, but about persuading alliance members to expand their defense budgets even further.