Rutte on Russia’s nuclear threats: NATO does not take this too seriously
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, responding to Russia’s threats to use nuclear weapons should the Kaliningrad region be isolated, stated that he did not take such allegations "too seriously".
Rutte told journalists on the sidelines of the Euronews Defence & Space Summit 2026 in Brussels on 30 September, according to Censor.NET.
Rutte’s reaction
The Secretary-General declined to disclose the detailed contents of the unofficial letter from Moscow containing these threats, noting that he was not authorised to disclose this information.
"So let me simply refer to what has been reported in the media and leave it at that. We have responded. And, in essence, we said: ‘Listen, we are a defensive alliance, and stop the nuclear threats. This is completely inappropriate and unhelpful. In particular, stop the war in Ukraine, which is an unjustified act of aggression against Ukraine." So we made our response clear; it was short and to the point," said Rutte.
There is no threat to NATO countries
When asked whether there really is a risk that the Russians might use nuclear weapons against Alliance member states, particularly the Baltic states, Rutte replied: "No, there isn’t."
"We have prepared for this; we have planned everything, and this applies to NATO as a whole. We will defend every inch of NATO territory. There is no such threat, but if anything were to happen, we are ready to counter it. Putin knows that he will never be able to defeat NATO. So I don’t take this too seriously, but, of course, we had to respond and make it clear to him that NATO is a defensive alliance. He (Putin – ed.) must end the war in Ukraine and stop making nuclear threats, because this helps no one", he said.
The NATO Secretary-General also noted that Russia is losing 43,000 troops on the front line every month, either killed or seriously wounded. He added that Kyiv is performing significantly better than it did a year ago, and that the allies continue to provide military support. According to Rutte, NATO must remain calm.
"Do not forget that Putin, by using these letters and hybrid actions, is trying to divide us and divert attention away from Ukraine. [...] So, in response to any hybrid actions, whatever may be happening in Europe, we will respond with greater support for Ukraine, not less", the official concluded.
What led up to this
- On 30 September, Reuters reported that Russia had sent NATO a written warning that it was prepared to use nuclear weapons should the Alliance attempt to isolate the Kaliningrad region from Russian territory. The North Atlantic Alliance responded by stating that it was not threatening Moscow and regarded the letter as an attempt at intimidation.
- The Kaliningrad Oblast is Russia’s westernmost region, separated from the rest of the country and situated on the coast of the Baltic Sea between Poland and Lithuania. The oblast is of great strategic importance to Russia due to its location, military infrastructure and access to the Baltic Sea.
