Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recalled Vladimir Putin’s remarks at the Valdai forum and said Moscow takes account of statements it considers threats from western neighbours.
Russia would respond in the same way to an attack on the Kaliningrad region or any other Russian territory, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. TASS reported his remarks at a news conference after talks in Moscow with East Timor’s foreign minister, Bendito Freitas.
Lavrov recalled President Vladimir Putin’s statement at the Valdai forum. On October 1, Putin said that a direct attack on Kaliningrad or other Russian territory would immediately raise the question of using all weapons available to Russia.
Lavrov said Moscow hears such statements and monitors the situation while working on tasks set by the president to prevent threats from western neighbours. On the same day, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described Western countries’ military build-up near Russia’s borders as “total.”
Putin also said in July that Russia would defend the Kaliningrad region by every means available and that the Baltic Fleet had been assigned a role in that task.