NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has said that the success of the alliance’s annual nuclear exercise earlier this month demonstrated the strength and credibility of NATO’s nuclear deterrent, reassuring member nations amid escalating nuclear rhetoric from Russia.
“When Russia is using dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric, our populations must know that there is no need to panic, because NATO has a strong nuclear deterrent,” Rutte told the German newspaper Welt am Sonntag.
He added that the exercise gave him “absolute confidence in the credibility of NATO’s nuclear deterrence.”
Rutte emphasized that deterrence remains a core element of NATO’s defense posture, particularly as Russian President Vladimir Putin continues to issue veiled nuclear threats. “Putin must know that nuclear war can never be won and must never be fought,” he said.
Since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Moscow has frequently warned of potential nuclear escalation.
Last month, Putin stated that Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to conventional strikes and would view any attack backed by a nuclear-armed state as a joint assault.
NATO’s annual nuclear exercise, Steadfast Noon, involves training allied forces to coordinate the use of nuclear capabilities in a defensive context. The drills are meant to ensure readiness and reinforce the alliance’s commitment to collective security.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
