NATO considers putting more nuclear weapons on alert
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized the need to demonstrate NATO's nuclear capabilities to the world in order to send a clear message to its adversaries.
In an interview with The Telegraph, he said that direct consultations are taking place between the Allies to remove missiles from storage and put them on alert.
He called for transparency as a deterrence tool and said that the number of warheads that should be operational is currently being discussed.
The NATO Secretary General emphasized that transparency should be a cornerstone of the bloc's nuclear strategy in a more dangerous world. Unlike a decade ago, when nuclear exercises were conducted in complete secrecy, he now openly welcomes the contribution of allies to deterrence, including the Netherlands' investment in dual-use fighter jets capable of carrying US nuclear weapons.
Stoltenberg emphasized that NATO's goal is a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as Russia, China and North Korea have them, the Alliance will remain nuclear.
He drew attention to the fact that China is actively building up its nuclear arsenal, which could reach 1,000 warheads by 2030.
"This means that in the not too distant future, NATO may face something it has never faced before, namely two potential adversaries with nuclear capabilities - China and Russia. Of course, this has consequences," the NATO chief emphasized.
Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 17/06/2024
