He said: \u201cWe have long been aware of the West’s plans for Kaliningrad.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Kaliningrad region is an integral part of Russia<\/a>, and any military encroachment on it will be met with an immediate and crushing response using all the forces and means at our disposal.\u201d<\/p>\n Patrushev, a former head of the FSB counterintelligence service, warned: \u201cRussia<\/a> has all the necessary military instruments to guarantee the security of the Kaliningrad region,\u201d as he specified that he was discussing a nuclear response.<\/p>\n It comes as Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk<\/a> concurred with the assessment of a senior US General that Russian forces could be ready for a confrontation with Europe within 18 months.<\/p>\n General Alexus Grynkewich, the newly appointed NATO commander in Europe, said US intelligence assessments suggested that Russia<\/a> could achieve operational readiness for a European conflict<\/a> within the next two years.<\/p>\n He warned: \u201cIf Xi Jinping<\/a> decides to launch military action against Taiwan, it is likely he will coordinate it with Vladimir Putin<\/a>, which creates the potential for a global conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n Tusk addressed the general\u2019s comments and said: \u201cToday, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich, confirmed to me the American assessments that Russia<\/a> will be ready for confrontation in just a year and a half.<\/p>\n