NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg made a rare mention on Wednesday (June 12) that NATO is continuing to adjust its nuclear capabilities to respond to current security threats.
NATO is holding a two-day defense ministerial meeting in Brussels. Prior to the meeting, Stoltenberg told reporters that nuclear weapons are NATO’s “ultimate security guarantee” and a means to uphold peace.
Stoltenberg mentioned the Netherlands announcing in June that the first batch of F-35 fighter jets are capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and noted that the United States is modernizing its nuclear weapons in Europe.
Acknowledging the challenging security environment, Stoltenberg reiterated NATO’s commitment to maintaining peace, deterring coercion, and warding off aggression, emphasizing that NATO is continually enhancing deterrence and defense measures.
“The defense spending across the whole of NATO is increasing,” he said, adding that progress will be made in new defense industrial commitments at the ministerial meeting, expanding military production and signaling long-term demands to the industry.
He stated that NATO defense ministers will also make decisions to ensure the self-defense capabilities of NATO’s new defense plans, as well as discuss Russia’s hostile actions in NATO countries, holding meetings of the Nuclear Planning Group to discuss the continuous adjustment of NATO’s nuclear capabilities.
He also mentioned the ongoing activities by China and Russia related to nuclear capabilities.
“In the past years and months, we have seen dangerous nuclear rhetoric from Russia…We have also observed Russia conducting more nuclear exercises,” he said.
On Tuesday, Russia announced that its forces have begun the second phase of tactical nuclear weapons deployment training exercises and are conducting joint military drills with the Belarusian army.
Since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Russian President Putin has reiterated multiple times that Moscow could use nuclear weapons for self-defense in extreme situations.
Stoltenberg also touched upon the issue of China’s nuclear modernization, expecting the Chinese authorities to significantly increase the number of nuclear missiles within a few years, with many missiles capable of reaching NATO territories. Additionally, North Korea and Iran are also developing their own nuclear capabilities.
In response to these developments, he stated that NATO must strengthen the modernization of its nuclear arsenal, enhance drills and communication to ensure that NATO’s nuclear deterrence is effective, safe, and reliable.
In conclusion, he said, “We will strengthen our support for Ukraine, we will bolster our defenses, we will send strong deterrent messages to our adversaries.”