In a move reflecting growing concerns over threats from Russia and China, NATO is engaging in discussions to deploy more nuclear weapons, transitioning them from storage to standby. This revelation was made by Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary-General of NATO, during an interview with Britain’s Telegraph newspaper on Monday.
Stoltenberg emphasised that the alliance is in active consultations between members to use transparency around its nuclear arsenal as a deterrent.
“I won’t go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” he stated.
Highlighting NATO’s strategic posture, Stoltenberg underscored the importance of clear communication. “Transparency helps to communicate the direct message that we, of course, are a nuclear alliance,” he said. Despite NATO’s ultimate goal of a world without nuclear weapons, Stoltenberg acknowledged the current geopolitical reality. “NATO’s aim is, of course, a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world where Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons, and NATO does not, is a more dangerous world.”
The Secretary-General reiterated the role of nuclear weapons as NATO’s “ultimate security guarantee” and a critical means to maintain peace. This stance aligns with his statements from the previous week, wherein he underscored the necessity of nuclear deterrence to preserve stability.
The backdrop to these discussions is a series of stern warnings from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has indicated that Moscow might resort to nuclear weapons in extreme defensive scenarios. Russia has accused the U.S. and its European allies of exacerbating global tensions by supplying Ukraine with substantial military aid, including weapons that have been deployed against Russian territory.
NATO, which has significantly increased its role in coordinating arms supplies to Kyiv, generally maintains a low profile on discussions about nuclear weapons. However, it is widely known that the U.S. has stationed nuclear bombs at several European locations.
Melissa Enoch
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