Putin's Kaliningrad speech sparks fears of Baltic aggression

Under the guise of defending the Kaliningrad Oblast, the Kremlin may undertake future actions that will threaten its neighbors. Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania may be in the crosshairs.

American experts from the Institute for the Study of War carefully analyze Vladimir Putin's words. They indicate that his comments about Russian citizens’ travel to the Kaliningrad Oblast may be significant.

The Kaliningrad Oblast is a Russian federal subject located on the Baltic Sea coast. Russians travel to the Kaliningrad exclave from mainland Russia by train or car through Belarus and NATO member states Latvia and Lithuania. Poland also borders the Kaliningrad Oblast.

According to ISW, Putin's comments about the "necessity of maintaining Kaliningrad’s cultural and social ties with Russia" are likely directed at domestic audiences. However, the center's analysts note that the dictator could pave the way for future Russian aggression against the Baltic states under the pretense of defending the Kaliningrad Oblast.

"Putin said that the Kaliningrad Oblast is 'Russia's western fortress' and that the country must strive to make the region more than just a 'fortress' on Russia’s western borders - a well-integrated place with Russian society and economy. Putin declared that Russia 'will never forget' about the Kaliningrad Oblast and that it must continue to develop in line with Russian social and cultural values," the authors of the report emphasized.

The dictator mentioned that Russia must address eliminating "barriers" to the movement of Russian citizens between mainland Russia and the Kaliningrad Oblast. He emphasized that the exclave is "Russia's western outpost."

This is not the first time the dictator has directed his attention to an area bordering NATO. "He may be setting the conditions for future Russian aggression against the Baltic states under the pretext of defending the Kaliningrad Oblast" - warn analysts from the United States.