Russia jabs Airbus in European tactical nukes spat

The Kremlin hit back Thursday at a European aerospace chief in a feud over tactical nuclear weapons. 

The board chair of Airbus, René Obermann, called Wednesday on Europe to develop tactical nuclear weapons to deter Russia’s arsenal in Kaliningrad, sparking a response from Moscow, which is no stranger to nuclear saber-rattling.

“Kaliningrad is an integral part of Russia,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told journalists, adding, “of course, Russia will do everything necessary to provide its security, stability, and predictability today, and tomorrow.”

Responding to Obermann, Peskov said: “Unfortunately, some allow such provocative statements, and call for further steps … to escalate tension.”

Russia’s heavily militarized semi-exclave of Kaliningrad is located on the Baltic Sea, bordered by Lithuania and Poland, and is home to 1 million residents. According to a German Council on Foreign Relations memo, Russia deploys “numerous nuclear weapons” in the Kaliningrad region. 

Moscow has engaged in veiled nuclear threats against the West since it launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, while both the U.S. and Russia have recently considered plans for further nuclear weapons testing.