Washington. June 14. INTERFAX-NATO will continue to build up its military capabilities and use a "broad combination of different tools" to counter "Russian aggression," Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with CNBC.
He repeated that "NATO's approach to Russia is based on what we call a dual approach - on defense and dialogue."
The Secretary General said: "We have now implemented the most serious strengthening of our collective defense since the end of the cold war, and we will continue to strengthen it, maintaining a high degree of readiness, increasing the number of troops and increasing defense investment."
According to him, NATO will not "mirror what Russia is doing," but will " respond very harshly and clearly, using a wide range of different tools," as it has done in recent years.
Stoltenberg said that NATO after the termination of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-range and Shorter-Range Missiles (INF)) "it has not changed its concept" and does not intend to " deploy new ground-based missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons."
"But we will take care to respond to Russia's new arms build - up, including the build-up of nuclear weapons," he stressed.
According to Stoltenberg, at the same time as strengthening air and missile defense, NATO will exercise arms control - " this is part of the dialogue with Russia."
The Secretary General of the alliance stated the importance of the sanctions imposed against Russia. According to Stoltenberg, their use should continue along with " greater support for close partners (NATO-IF), such as Ukraine and Georgia."
