Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the courage, bravery and resilience of the Iranian people have amazed the entire world, with the international community closely watching the situation.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that the courage, bravery and resilience of the Iranian people have amazed the entire world, with the international community closely watching the situation. Addressing the Valdai Discussion Club, a forum of international experts on Russia, in Moscow, Putin praised the courage of the Iranian people in the face of U.S. attacks and expressed full solidarity with Tehran. He also pledged that Russia would not supply diesel to global markets until Western sanctions were lifted.
The Russian president warned that attacks by Ukraine on Russian oil refineries had caused losses equivalent to 1 percent of Russia’s gross domestic product (GDP). He added that the arrogance and excessive self-confidence of major powers were among the main causes of the current increase in global tensions, which could push the world toward a major catastrophe at any time. During his address, Putin argued that major powers possess dangerous weapons capable of wiping out life on Earth, meaning that the possibility of the use of weapons of mass destruction cannot be completely ruled out. He stressed that the international community must take this grave threat into account and work to prevent a catastrophic situation.
Putin also warned that if Kaliningrad faced a threat, Russia would consider using all types of weapons in its arsenal. Meanwhile, Putin said Russia had no intention of attacking any country, but warned that if NATO launched a direct attack on Russia, Moscow would use all the weapons at its disposal. Speaking at the Valdai Discussion Club meeting, Putin said that if the Russian Federation came under direct attack, particularly in the context of Kaliningrad, the question would arise of whether Russia should use all available weapons. He said a decision on which weapons would be used would be made later. Putin claimed that Russia possesses weapons that have no equivalent in any other country in the world.
He said Russia’s capabilities gave it an advantage over Europe’s two nuclear powers, France and the United Kingdom. Putin also referred to a letter from the Russian Foreign Ministry warning NATO that if an attempt were made to isolate Kaliningrad, Russia would be prepared to use nuclear weapons. Putin described the Foreign Ministry’s letter not as a threat, but as a response to attempts to intimidate Russia. Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave located on the Baltic Sea coast between Poland and Lithuania. It is geographically separated from Russia’s mainland. Before World War II, Kaliningrad was part of Germany and was known as Konigsberg. After the war, it became part of the Soviet Union. Kaliningrad is home to important Russian military bases, missile systems and naval facilities, making the region particularly significant amid tensions between Russia and NATO.
