Putin Issues Ominous Warning to NATO

Vladimir Putin just issued a dire warning to NATO: It's ready to use nuclear weapons to defend its exclave of Kaliningrad, a Russian seaport wedged between Poland and Lithuania. During a forum in Moscow, Putin said NATO seemed to have designs on taking control of the region. "If it comes to direct attack against the Russian Federation, in this case on Kaliningrad and possibly some other territories, of course the issue of using all weapons in our country's arsenal will inevitably and unavoidably emerge on the agenda," he said, reports CNN. "This is unavoidable."

In the translation, Putin didn't explicitly cite nuclear weapons. But Moscow also sent a diplomatic note to NATO that did, per Reuters. "Russia will be ready to use the entire arsenal of forces and capabilities at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, in order to defend its territory," it reads. In response, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte reiterated that the alliance is defensive in nature. "Stop the nuclear threats," he said. "This is absolutely not called for and not helpful." The friction comes as NATO members—which have been backing Ukraine—accuse Russia of acts of sabotage within their countries, which Moscow denies.