"We will use all weapons".. Putin issues a "warning" to the West regarding Kaliningrad

- Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the West against escalating the war in Ukraine, stating that Moscow is prepared to use "all weapons" in its arsenal, including nuclear weapons, if its Baltic enclave of Kaliningrad is attacked. In a speech delivered at the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow on Thursday, Putin said he "does not plan to attack any European country, but is ready to respond to any Western aggression if necessary," referring to the Russian enclave located between NATO members Poland and Lithuania.

His warning comes in the wake of military exercises recently conducted by NATO near Kaliningrad, which the alliance described as "defensive drills to enhance deterrence." These exercises have raised significant concerns in Moscow, which warned in late September that it would respond if NATO attempted to impose an air or sea blockade on the enclave.

Putin stated: "The maneuvers in the Baltic Sea, which are ongoing... then attempts to detain our ships, all of this constitutes escalation, and then we started to hear statements regarding the Kaliningrad region."

He added, warning: "If it comes to a direct attack on the Russian Federation, in this case on Kaliningrad and perhaps some other regions, it is natural that the issue of using all the weapons in our country's arsenal will come to the forefront, this is inevitable." NATO and several European countries, along with the United Kingdom, have accused Russia of launching a "hybrid war against them, including cyberattacks, sabotage, and espionage attempts, aimed at breaking their support for Ukraine."

The Russian war in Ukraine, which Moscow describes as a "special military operation," is entering its fifth year, but Putin shows no intention of slowing down his offensive, having intensified strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and its capital Kyiv, in anticipation of a harsh winter ahead. However, recent Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil refineries have led to a severe fuel shortage, dispelling the illusion that the repercussions of the conflict are far removed from the lives of ordinary Russian citizens.

Long lines of cars were seen in front of gas stations in major cities, while attacks on the largest Russian e-commerce retailers increased pressure on an already weakened economy during wartime. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regularly refers to Ukrainian drone strikes deep within Russian territory as "long-range sanctions," aimed at reducing Russia's revenues and military capabilities and pushing the Kremlin to negotiate.

In his speech on Thursday before academics in foreign policy and international affairs, Putin acknowledged that Ukrainian strikes are damaging the Russian economy, stating that they have cost Russia 1% of its GDP, and that Ukrainian military maneuvers in the Black Sea have destroyed more than 100 Russian ships. However, Putin also clarified that he remains steadfast in his position, saying: "In the Black Sea - a war zone - we targeted military ships and ships carrying military cargo, and we rarely missed, and throughout this war, Ukraine has destroyed more than a hundred of our ships.

We started to respond, and now we are being bombarded with appeals from all sides: enough, stop it." He mentioned: "The same applies to our oil refineries; Ukraine has explicitly stated that its goal is to harm our economy.

Partially - according to our estimates, we have lost about one percent of our GDP. This was done intentionally - these are civilian targets ultimately."

Putin added, ignoring the fact that Moscow is the one that launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022: "They received a completely opposite response." Putin's acknowledgment of economic losses comes just one day after his statement to newly elected members of the State Duma (the lower house of the Russian parliament), where it was expected that the pro-Putin United Russia party would maintain its majority, that the Russian economy is "stable."

Russian President took the opportunity to criticize Ukraine, mocking on Wednesday the reliance of Kyiv on financial aid from its Western allies. He warned parliamentarians, saying: "Mistakes, especially now, are absolutely unacceptable.

Unlike some, and we will not point fingers, Russia cannot roam the world humiliating itself by begging for aid." He added: "First, because, as I said before, it is humiliating.

Second, no one will give us anything, and we know that well." And third, and most importantly, we do not need it.

"The Russian financial system and economy are secure," he continued. While he has indicated in recent weeks that he does not intend to withdraw from the war in Ukraine, he also said he "prefers to end the conflict through negotiations."

Before the elections, Putin stated that the results would show that "Russians are united around the army and its goals," although the Levada Center, an independent center, has stated otherwise. A poll conducted in August showed that 59% of Russians support moving to peace talks.

In an additional indication that Putin does not intend to slow the pace of the "special military operation," budget documents reviewed by Reuters revealed that Russia plans to spend 17.1 trillion rubles ($205.112 billion) on defense in 2027; an amount that is about 27% higher than what was included in the original budget, and represents the highest level of defense spending since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.