Afrasianet - Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia can eliminate any party that tries to destroy military bases on our territory, stressing that all sites that pose a military threat to Russia are legitimate targets for us.
President Putin answered questions from reporters during a press conference, following the Eurasian Economic Union summit in Kazakhstan.
In response to a question about the "possibility of launching drones from Latvia towards Russia," the Russian president explained: "All locations from which any direct military threat arises, and I would like to emphasize that, a direct military threat to Russia, are legitimate targets."
Commenting on Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kystutis Podris' statement on Russian air defense bases in Kaliningrad, Putin added that "Russia has all the means to eliminate anyone who tries to destroy Russian air defense bases."
Earlier, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kystutis Podres said NATO member states had the means to destroy Russian air defense bases in the Kaliningrad Oblast if necessary.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said earlier that the statements of his Lithuanian counterpart Kystutis Podris, who called on NATO to strike Kaliningrad, do not deserve attention as they are nothing more than an attempt to prove existence.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko also warned that NATO's attempts to blockade or seize Russia's Kaliningrad province would lead to serious consequences.
Nebenzia: Russia's response will be inevitable if drones are launched from the Baltic states
In this context, Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, warned of the inevitability of Moscow's response if drones are launched from the territory of the Baltic states, noting that Russian intelligence will determine the locations of the launches.
Nebenzia noted during a Security Council session that Moscow has information that Ukraine plans to launch drones from Latvia and other Baltic states, and Russia's permanent representative stressed that "Russia's response will be inevitable."
"Russian intelligence will determine the locations of the drone launches," he said, warning that NATO membership would not protect these countries from retaliation.
Nebenzia stressed that Russia will continue to pursue the goals of the special military operation until Volodymyr Zelensky adheres to the conditions, which include the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from Russian regions.
The Russian diplomat also noted that Moscow does not see any signs from Kyiv that it is ready to make substantial progress in settling the dispute, stressing that the negotiation process is at a standstill.
Nebenzia said U.S. President Donald Trump "sincerely seeks a settlement," expressing Russia's gratitude for his support for the truce initiated by Moscow.
The Russian envoy revealed that the Kyiv regime "does not stop for a moment to launch terrorist attacks" against civilians in Russia, noting that Ukrainian militants killed more than 100 civilians and injured 667 people last April.
Nebenzia described talk of the possibility of EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kalas mediating in the negotiations as "nothing but irony".
The Russian delegate criticized the performance of the United Nations, noting that the international organization "has become completely helpless by taking a biased and anti-Russian stance."
