Lithuanian officials puzzled by Russia’s threat to deploy nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad

Russia’s talk about the deployment of nuclear weapons in its exclave of Kaliningrad “seems rather strange”, given that those weapons “have always been kept there”, Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anušauskas has said.

Reuters on Thursday quoted Dmitry Medvedev, Russia’s former president and prime minister and current deputy chairman of the country’s Security Council, as saying that Sweden and Finland joining NATO would result in Moscow going back on its commitments not to deploy nuclear weapons in the Baltic Sea region.

“There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic [region] – the balance must be restored,” he said.

But according to Lithuanian officials, Russia has always kept nuclear weapons in Kaliningrad.

“They keep nuclear weapons, delivery vehicles, and have warehouses [in Kaliningrad]. The international community and countries in the region are perfectly aware of that,” Anušauskas told BNS on Thursday.

Arvydas Anušauskas | J. Stacevičiaus / LRT nuotr.

“Russia’s current threats seem rather strange in particular as we know that, leaving the current security situation aside, they keep those weapons 100 kilometres away from the Lithuanian border,” he added. “Nuclear weapons have always been kept in the Kaliningrad region.”

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė also said that “Kaliningrad has been highly militarised for many years”, adding that Russia’s threats are “nothing new”.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has drastically swayed the public opinion in Finland and Sweden in favour of membership in defence organisations. Now, the two countries are debating joining NATO and may apply for membership in the alliance in the near future.