The Russian embassy in Rome has weighed in on Kaliningrad, the Russian exclave between Lithuania and Poland, which has been at the center of a verbal escalation between Moscow and NATO for days. In a Facebook post the mission warned: “With regard to the Kaliningrad region, given its unique geographic position and its significant geopolitical relevance, any response to an aggressive action directed against it by anyone — and even more so by NATO, the EU or countries that are members of those alliances — could involve the use of all available means.”

The embassy begins by saying that “for several days we have observed in the Italian media a concentrated campaign launched by newspapers such as Corriere della Sera, La Stampa and La Repubblica accusing Russia of having intensified the issue of nuclear weapons against NATO in relation to the situation around the Kaliningrad region.” “Unfortunately,” it adds, “this is not the first time that Russia’s firm and decisive statements, intended to defuse leaders stirred by reactionary and military sentiments, have been interpreted in Italy as expressions of ‘aggression’, ‘anti-Western propaganda’ or a ‘hybrid threat’ from Moscow.”

The mission therefore “advises” those who support such approaches not to lose contact with reality and to try to assess objectively the situation developing in the European and broader security context. The statement says the situation “continues to deteriorate, and this is happening mainly because of the actions of NATO and the European Union, whose leaders, without hesitation, call for a strategic strike against Russia and prepare for war with it. By fostering a pre-war psychosis and intimidating their own populations, they begin military exercises that test scenarios specifically aimed at Russia and its regions, encourage so-called joint nuclear missions and plans to deploy nuclear weapons in several countries bordering Russia. All of this leads us to take seriously the threats arising from the Western side. It is appropriate to recall that it was from these parts that the tragedy of two world wars unfolded.”

The embassy also warns that “a clear and unequivocal statement of Russia’s options for responding to escalation by Brussels and some other capitals in the military-political situation is not an escalation, not a threat, and certainly not a bluff. It is a reminder of Russia’s determination and readiness, as well as that of any other state that respects its sovereignty and territorial integrity, to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity in ways it deems most effective.” “Given recent developments, the risk of an armed confrontation with the possibility of pre-emptive strikes on decision-making centers within alliances is already very high in the early stages of a conflict. This is precisely the scenario that Russia is trying to prevent at all costs, by clearly explaining its position regarding the situation around the Kaliningrad region and the security risks created in this context by Western states,” the mission concludes.

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