The Chairman of the Russian State Duma's Foreign Affairs Commission warned that any attack on Russia's Kaliningrad territory would be considered a direct invasion and could lead to a response according to Russia's nuclear doctrine.
Speaking to TASS news agency on July 17, Leonid Slutsky - Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Russian State Duma (the Russian House of Representatives) - said: "Attacking the Kaliningrad region means attacking Russia and will entail all necessary retaliatory measures, including those stated in the nuclear doctrine".
Mr. Slutsky, who is also the leader of the Russian Free Democratic Party (LDPR), made this statement in response to the comments of General Christopher Donahue, Commander of the US Army Command in Europe and Africa.
Previously, in an interview with Defense News, General Donahue said that Russia's Kaliningrad territory on the Baltic coast is only about 75km wide and is currently completely surrounded by NATO. Therefore, the US and its allies have the ability to knock the region off the ground in unprecedentedly fast, faster than at any time in history.
In response, Mr. Slutsky described the US side's statement as "a plan to spark the third World War, leading to a global confrontation without a winner".
When an American general publicly declares the possibility of taking over Kaliningrad, it is no longer a military illusion, but a threat to Russias sovereignty and national security, Mr. Slutsky emphasized.
Kaliningrad is a strategic territory of Russia, located between Poland and Lithuania - two NATO members. This area is the base of the Baltic fleet and is said to have deployed long-range missile systems and modern missile defense capabilities.
