Political analyst Sergey Karaganov, speaking in an interview with Norwegian host Glenn Diesen, said that if European countries continue what he described as maritime and economic piracy, Russia could consider retaliatory measures, including strikes on EU ports.

Karaganov argued that Europe has, in his view, returned to large-scale piracy and said such actions require harsh punishment. In this context, he suggested that continued actions of this kind could lead Russia to target European vessels and port infrastructure.

Commenting on the possible seizure of Russian assets, Karaganov said that, in a theoretical scenario, this could push the situation toward extremely radical outcomes, including the use of nuclear weapons, while stressing that Russia does not seek such an outcome and does not want events to develop in that direction.

According to Karaganov, Europe can be «soberingly restrained» only by real threats. He expressed hope that nuclear weapons would not be used, but warned that the world is approaching a dangerous threshold. He added that if the conflict continues, Europe’s role should be viewed not as support, but as direct participation in a war against Russia.

He also stated that the United States, in his assessment, began distancing itself from the conflict about a year and a half ago after recognizing the risk of nuclear escalation that could also affect U.S. territory. Karaganov said Washington is seriously concerned that Russia might consider nuclear use as punishment against European countries, noting that this concern intensified during Donald Trump’s presidency, although the overall situation remains unclear.

In conclusion, Karaganov warned that if current trends persist, the conflict could eventually reach a point of no return. He said that in the event of further escalation or a renewed war, the risk of nuclear weapons being used would, in his view, become virtually unavoidable.