Russia's rising nuclear threat: How tactical warheads on NATO's doorstep concern Germany and Poland

Just a few days ago, Germany's "Die Welt" revealed that Russia may possess up to 3,500 tactical nuclear warheads. The newspaper warns, referencing expert William Alberque's opinion from a report by the British think tank IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies), that Putin's willingness to utilize such weapons is ascending rapidly.

Simultaneously, Germany remembers a statement from Alexander Lukashenko last December, declaring that the placement of Russian tactical nuclear arms on Belorussian soil has been completed. According to "Die Welt," this suggests that these types of weapons are now situated directly on NATO's doorstep, indicating an extraordinary potential threat to the Alliance.

Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski has addressed the reports circulating in the media across the Oder on TOK FM radio. He voiced his satisfaction that this issue is finally being addressed by neighbors who previously overlooked it.

Sikorski stressed that Iskander missiles near Kaliningrad could potentially target both Berlin and Warsaw.

This is not Sikorski's first warning about the risk of Russia utilizing nuclear weapons. Visiting Berlin in January and a meeting with Annalena Baerbock, the German Foreign Affairs Minister, he mentioned in a conversation with "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" (FAZ): "Putin has threatened Poland, Latvia, and Finland. When he threatens a country, he means it. We often didn't take him seriously. In Belarus, there are Russian tanks. Now, Russia has also placed nuclear weapons there. Furthermore, the nuclear weapons close to Kaliningrad, Iskander missiles, can reach Berlin. I am always astounded that this isn't a hot topic in Germany."

Source: "Die Welt", TOK FM, PAP