Against the backdrop of threats from Russia and China: NATO discusses putting nuclear weapons on alert

NATO is in talks to deploy more nuclear weapons amid growing threats from Russia and China. The Alliance believes that it must show the world its nuclear arsenal to "send a direct message to its enemies."

This was stated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in an interview with The Telegraph. According to him, direct consultations were held between the members of the bloc on the withdrawal of missiles from storage and their transfer to standby mode.

"I will not go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and how many should be in storage, but we need to consult on these issues. That is exactly what we are doing," the Secretary General said.

Stoltenberg added that nuclear transparency should be a cornerstone of NATO's nuclear strategy to prepare the alliance for what he called a more dangerous world.

Ten years ago, when Stoltenberg took over as NATO Secretary General, nuclear exercises were conducted in secret. Now, the article says, he is openly praising a number of his 32 allies for their contributions to deterrence, including the Netherlands for its recent investment in dual-use fighter jets capable of carrying American nuclear weapons.

"Transparency helps to deliver a direct message that we are, of course, a nuclear alliance. NATO's goal is a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world in which Russia, China and North Korea have nuclear weapons and NATO does not is a more dangerous world," Stoltenberg said.

He warned that China is investing heavily in modern weapons, including its nuclear arsenal, which he said will grow to 1,000 warheads by 2030.

"This means that in the near future, NATO may face something it has never faced before, namely two nuclear potential adversaries, China and Russia. Of course, this will have consequences," he added.

As reported by OBOZ.UA, at a meeting with heads of news agencies on June 5, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin once again threatened to use nuclear weapons and called on the West "not to take lightly" the nuclear doctrine of the aggressor country. The war criminal said that Russia "may use all available means if its sovereignty or territorial integrity is threatened."

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