Mark Rutte says Russia's goal is "to divide us and lose the focus" on Ukraine's defense

After President Vladimir Putin said Russia would use all available arms if attacked, and Moscow warned it could deploy nuclear weapons to protect Kaliningrad from what Russia described as a planned NATO blockade, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the alliance responded briefly, rejected nuclear intimidation, and maintained that it does not target Russian territory. NATO spokeswoman Allison Hart confirmed Russia sent a written communication; the alliance also urged Moscow to end the Ukraine war. Rutte told Euronews that Russia's goal was to weaken allied cohesion and divert attention from Ukraine's defense, saying NATO would not allow that and that continued assistance to Kyiv was the correct response.