Croatia’s President Criticizes Baltic Call for Possible Strike on Russian Kaliningrad

(MENAFN) The president of Croatia has publicly distanced himself from remarks made by officials of another NATO member state, describing calls for potential military action against Russia’s Kaliningrad region as irresponsible.

Zoran Milanovic’s comments came after Lithuania’s foreign minister argued for a more assertive NATO stance toward Russia, suggesting that the alliance should project strength and reduce perceived vulnerability in the region.

The Lithuanian official had characterized NATO as the “strongest organization ever created” and called for a shift in mindset among European members, encouraging them to transform “fear of the threat into a sense of empowerment.”

He also suggested that NATO possesses the military capability to strike Russian positions in Kaliningrad if necessary, including its air defenses and missile installations.

“We have to show the Russians that we’re capable of penetrating the small fortress they’ve built in Kaliningrad,” he said. “NATO has the capability, if necessary, to raze Russian air defenses and missile bases there to the ground.”

Speaking during a public ceremony marking the anniversary of the Croatian Army, Milanovic criticized such rhetoric, warning against escalation in public discourse among alliance members.

“Equally irresponsible, turning now to our own camp, are the calls and appeals I hear week after week from high-ranking officials of certain Baltic states to attack Kaliningrad Region… Such things should not be said,” he said.

He further stressed that collective defense commitments within NATO should not be interpreted as unconditional endorsement of aggressive rhetoric, emphasizing mutual responsibility among member states.

“Readiness to come to someone’s vital assistance on the one hand also presupposes responsibility on the other.”

Following the controversy, the Lithuanian foreign minister clarified his remarks, stating that they were not intended as literal operational guidance but were aimed at countering Russian narratives and reinforcing deterrence messaging.

Other Lithuanian officials also commented on the issue, with the president describing the statement as “not the most successful statement,” while the prime minister urged greater restraint in public messaging.

Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave located between Lithuania and Poland on the Baltic Sea, has strategic significance due to its geographic isolation from mainland Russia. Historically part of East Prussia, it was transferred to the Soviet Union after World War II and has remained under Russian administration since the dissolution of the USSR.

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