Nuclear tensions rise as NATO mulls deploying more arms in Europe
10:18 AM EDT, June 17, 2024
- The statement by UN Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg about Alliance countries' discussions on deploying more nuclear weapons in Europe is yet another escalation of tension, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declared on Monday.
Many pieces of information presented by Russian state media or Kremlin officials are likely not true. Such reports may be part of an information war by the Russian Federation.
In Monday's edition of the British newspaper "Daily Telegraph," Stoltenberg said that consultations are ongoing among NATO member states about using the nuclear arsenal as a deterrent against the growing threat from Russia, China, and North Korea.
Kremlin spokesman on NATO head's words: "Contradictory"
- The discussions involve the deployment of more nuclear weapons, as well as transporting them from storage and putting them on alert, he clarified.
According to Peskov, Stoltenberg's words seem contradictory to the final statement from the Swiss conference on peace in Ukraine, which stated that any threats of or actual use of nuclear weapons in the context of Ukraine are unacceptable. - This is nothing but another escalation of tension - he said.
- The NATO Secretary General's words are aimed at spreading fear, said Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) chief Sergey Naryshkin on Monday. He added that Moscow should calmly approach these words.
NATO rarely talks about nuclear weapons
As Reuters reminds us, Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened that Russia could use nuclear weapons for self-defense in extreme circumstances. The dictator accuses the United States and its European allies of pushing the world to the brink of atomic confrontation by supplying Ukraine with billions of dollars worth of weapons.
NATO, which has taken on a more significant role in coordinating weapons supplies to Ukraine to repel the Russian invasion, rarely speaks publicly about nuclear weapons.
According to the "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists," the US has deployed approximately 100 B61 thermonuclear bombs in five European countries: Italy, Germany, Turkey, Belgium, and the Netherlands. An additional 100 such bombs are located on US territory.
Russia possesses about 1,558 non-strategic nuclear warheads, although arms control experts say it is tough to determine their exact number due to state secrecy.
