According to the Russian Satellite News Agency, some media recently published articles saying that the reason why Kaliningrad worries NATO is because it is like "a sharp dagger inserted by Russia in the throat of Europe"! The article pointed out that Kaliningrad does not seem to be bordering Russia and is in a very dangerous situation "under siege" by European countries, but in fact because this small enclave guards the mouth of the Baltic Sea with great strategic value on the one hand, it is also at a key node connecting Northern and Central Europe. Therefore, its existence will not only help Russia curb nato's continuous expansion, but even every move will be related to the survival of the whole of Europe, so from the perspective of European countries, it is more like a sharp blade hanging on its neck.
Of course, NATO members and some European countries have actually done a lot of "homework" in recent years in order to eliminate the threat posed by Kaliningrad. For example, the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons and advanced land, sea, air and sea and anti-missile equipment around Kaliningrad, or the holding of military exercises in the waters near the region, that is, repeatedly simulating the blockade and destruction of Kaliningrad.
On the surface, it seems that the NATO military group is very well considered and prepared, but in fact, this series of actions is like a set of tires that are repeatedly rubbed, which not only does not eliminate hidden dangers, but also increases the "risk factor" that Kaliningrad brings disaster to Europe. For example, in response to NATO's military provocations and oppression, Russia will naturally strengthen its military deployment in Kaliningrad.
In 2014, the Russian army deployed iskander land-based tactical missiles in Kaliningrad, although its range is less than 500 kilometers, but because Kaliningrad is only 600 kilometers away from the German capital Berlin, the Danish capital Copenhagen and the Swedish capital Stockholm, less than 400 kilometers away from the Polish capital Warsaw and some US military bases, so in theory, once NATO and Russia have a military conflict, then as long as the Russian army makes a slight adjustment, Within ten minutes, the above countries and cities would be bombarded by Iskander missiles.
In addition, the most critical thing is that the long-range radar and advanced anti-missile air defense systems previously deployed by NATO in Russia and around Kaliningrad are probably turned into decorations because they are too late to react.
Not only that, in 2019, Russia also dispatched and deployed a regiment of S-400 air defense missile systems to Kaliningrad, which not only greatly strengthened the defense capabilities of the region, but also directly expanded its air defense range to the territory of certain European countries. In this case, even if Russia has no time to take care of it, NATO and European countries have the ability to take Kaliningrad, and I am afraid that they will eventually pay a heavy price for it.
In addition, in passing, Kaliningrad is not only the site of the Russian Baltic Fleet, but also the Russian army has deployed a large number of army mechanized units, advanced aircraft and missile weapons in the region. Such a military strength can not be said to be able to compete with the entire NATO group, but it is more than enough to defeat several surrounding countries.
In summary, it can be seen that it is precisely because of the continuous pressure exerted by the NATO military group that Kaliningrad will eventually become a sharp blade for Russia to insert into the "throat" of Europe. Interestingly, however, the constant pressure on Russia by the NATO military bloc is not necessarily defending the interests of European countries, especially those surrounding Kaliningrad. In layman's terms, in the case of contradictions between the United States and Russia, the NATO group's pressure on Russia represents only the interests of the United States, and at this time, some European countries in NATO member countries have become "scapegoats".
To put it more clearly, in the process of the US-Russia game, if Kaliningrad is a "sharp knife" in Russia's hands, then the European countries around it have become the "enclave" of the United States against Russia.
This is also the main reason why some European countries are reluctant to follow the pressure of the United States on Russia and intend to form a European legion. Although according to NATO Secretary-General Stoltenberg, the EU's formation of a "European Legion" will not only weaken NATO, but even split Europe, in fact, the EU's move is precisely to safeguard the security and interests of European countries, to put it bluntly, their original intention is to get rid of the shackles of NATO, to avoid the United States from using NATO actions to blackmail European countries in order to safeguard its own interests.
In summary, the reason why the media will emphasize Kaliningrad as "a sharp knife inserted by Russia into the throat of Europe" is to remind NATO members or some European countries not to become an anti-Russian "enclave" of the United States because of safeguarding US interests.
Objectively speaking, because Kaliningrad during the Soviet era was always at the forefront of the Cold War struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States, it was like a military base deployed by the Soviet Union in the core of Europe for a long time, that is, the so-called over-militarization. This practice not only led to the almost isolation of the region from the outside world after the collapse of the Soviet Union, leaving only a Baltic sea route to Russia, but also caused Kaliningrad's economic development to lag seriously because of the long-term sanctions and blockades.
To this end, the later Russia also made overtures to Europe for the economic development of the region, and tried to remove the previous military label, diluting political differences while reducing military deployments in the region, and opening up multiple border passages.
To be more precise, 2003-2013 was not only the best period for Kaliningrad's economic development, but even the region became a political and economic link connecting Russia and Europe! However, this state of peace obviously cannot be maintained for long in the context of NATO's eastward expansion, such as the Russo-Georgian War in 2008 and the Ukraine crisis in 2014, if the former is a dangerous attempt to integrate NATO into Georgia, then the latter is a strategic operation of its military oppression of Russia.
All in all, if Georgia and Ukraine join the EU, they are theoretically at best a pro-European economy. However, once it joins NATO, the meaning is completely different, which is the main reason why Russia has turned Kaliningrad into a "sharp knife".