Russia accuses Lithuania, NATO of Kaliningrad threat

Russia's Security Council has accused Lithuania of creating a 'hotbed of tension' near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko claimed that NATO is conducting military exercises to rehearse the seizure of the territory. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) assesses that this rhetoric is groundwork for justifying future aggression against the Baltic states. The accusations mark a significant escalation in Moscow's hostile rhetoric towards NATO members on its border.