President Vladimir Putin on Thursday (October 1, 2026) reiterated Moscow’s long-held position that Russia is not planning to attack European countries but will respond to aggression with “all weapons” in its arsenal.
NATO spokesperson Allison Hart confirmed Wednesday that Russia had sent a written message to the U.S.-led military alliance.
“We strongly denounce the threat of force, including any irresponsible nuclear rhetoric,” she said in a statement.
In remarks at a foreign policy forum, Mr. Putin accused the West and Europe of escalating tensions by talking about preparing for a war with Moscow in the coming years, conducting military drills in the Baltic Sea, and seizing Russian vessels.
Mr. Mr. Asked at the Valdai Club forum Thursday (October 1, 2026) whether Russia was on the cusp of a war with NATO or whether both were trying to intimidate each other, Putin said: “It’s not intimidation, it’s a response to an attempt to intimidate us.
“There should be no mistake — Russia would be ready to use all its arsenal, including nuclear weapons, to defend its territory if NATO countries try to isolate [the] Kaliningrad region from the rest of the country,” the Russian Embassy in Ireland said in its statement on Tuesday (September 29, 2026). Putin said that “everything is written correctly” in the earlier warning to NATO. “If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation — in this case we mean Kaliningrad, or maybe some other territories — of course, inevitably and immediately the question of Russian Federation using all weapons at the disposal of our country will appear on the agenda,” he said. Putin didn’t specify whether Moscow would use nuclear weapons but said it has arms that “no one else has” and would determine which to use in case of an attack.
