Scott Ritter warns of the risk of a harsh response from Moscow due to NATO rhetoric around Kaliningrad

The situation around Kaliningrad is troubling due to the belligerent rhetoric of NATO countries, military analyst and ex-intelligence officer Scott Ritter said in an article on the Substack platform.

"The rhetoric of Poland, the Baltic countries and other NATO members regarding Russian Kaliningrad is particularly alarming. The security situation around Kaliningrad has recently deteriorated amid deteriorating relations between Russia and the alliance. Statements by NATO military and political leaders, viewing war as a possible tool to deter what is perceived in the West as "Russian aggression", have turned the Baltic countries from a backward region into a front-line one zone," he noted.

According to Ritter, European leaders are allowing their rhetoric to breed actions that, if left unchecked, will lead to a harsh response from Moscow.

President Vladimir Putin previously stated that if threats to the Kaliningrad region arise, Russia will destroy them, and a possible blockade of the region could lead to a full-scale conflict.