Putin's visit to Kaliningrad makes NATO uneasy

Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo: EPA).

Russian President Vladimir Putin has flown to Kaliningrad, an enclave between Lithuania and Poland, raising concerns it could become a flashpoint for a future conflict.

Mr Putin flew near Estonia, hugging the coast of Latvia and Lithuania in a plane dubbed the "Kremlin in the air". The plane then landed in Kaliningrad.

Fighter jets were deployed off the east coast of Sweden’s Gotland island as Mr Putin approached the Baltic Sea. Before the Kremlin leader’s plane landed in Kaliningrad, a NATO reconnaissance plane from the Dutch air force circled over the Baltic Sea.

Amid the unease of NATO countries, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the visit was not intended to send a warning to NATO but was aimed at promoting "development".

During his visit to Kaliningrad, Mr. Putin had the opportunity to talk to students at the university. In addition, Mr. Putin also chaired a meeting on the region's socio-economic development plan and met with Kaliningrad Governor - Anton Alikhanov.

“When the president visits the regions of the Russian Federation, it is not a message to NATO countries, but a continuation of what he has been doing for many years: working for the development of our country and our regions,” Peskov said.

Despite the Kremlin's comments, the timing of Mr Putin's visit to the heartland of Europe has attracted much attention, especially as the risk of conflict between Russia and the West grows.

In January, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Mr Putin could declare war on NATO in “five to eight years”.

Camille Grand, an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said Mr Putin had sent a number of messages, including reminding people in Kaliningrad that “you are Russian”.

“In my view, this is a clear attempt to signal that the Baltic Sea is not a NATO sea after Finland and Sweden applied to join NATO,” he said. It is also “a way to remind the West that Russia has military assets in Kaliningrad,” he added.

Kaliningrad is seen as a potential flashpoint between Russia and NATO. Moscow deployed fighter jets equipped with advanced hypersonic missiles to the region shortly after it launched a special military operation in Ukraine.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on January 24 ahead of an EU meeting in Brussels: "Yes, we believe that a real war is possible." However, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius warned that neither the country's army nor its people were ready for a war with Russia.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/chuyen-tham-kaliningrad-cua-ong-putin-khien-nato-bat-an-20240126153539337.htm