NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the circumstances under which NATO may use nuclear weapons are "extremely remote," while he stressed that the alliance will closely monitor Russia's upcoming nuclear exercises.BRUSSELS, October 13.
/tass/. The defense ministers of 30 NATO countries held a planned two-day meeting in Brussels, at the center of the agenda of which was the conflict in Ukraine and related problems. As NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said at a press conference following the meeting on Thursday, the defense ministers agreed to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as necessary. In particular, for this purpose, they decided to increase the alliance's weapons stocks.
Assistance to Ukraine
According to Stoltenberg, the heads of the Defense Ministries of NATO countries also decided to strengthen security measures for critical energy infrastructure after the sabotage on the "Northern Streams".
Most of the questions at the NATO Secretary General's press conference related to the "nuclear threat" against the background of the conflict in Ukraine. Stoltenberg, responding to them, said that the circumstances under which the North Atlantic Alliance may use nuclear weapons are "extremely remote." At the same time, he stressed that NATO will closely monitor Russia's upcoming nuclear exercises.
According to Stoltenberg, the "main message" of the meeting of defense ministers was a call to the allies to provide Ukraine with military support for as long as needed. In particular, according to him, NATO countries will supply Kiev with equipment to combat Russian-made unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Stoltenberg noted that hundreds of "jammers" of drones will help to disable, among other things, Russian-made UAVs, as well as protect the critical infrastructure of Ukraine.
In addition, NATO will provide Ukraine with everything necessary for conducting military operations in the coming winter. "We are also providing fuel, winter clothing and medicines as part of a comprehensive package of assistance [to Ukraine]," he added.
Increase in weapons stocks
The defense ministers of the North Atlantic Alliance countries agreed to increase the stocks of weapons, ammunition and equipment in order, among other things, to continue to support Ukraine, Stoltenberg said. "Today we have decided to increase the stocks of weapons, ammunition and equipment to strengthen our capabilities and accelerate the NATO defense planning process in order to provide the industry with the long-term demand necessary to increase production," he said.
In addition, NATO defense ministers decided to increase the number of ultra-rapid reaction forces in the eastern part of the bloc. Now, according to Stoltenberg, "there are more troops [stationed] in the eastern part of the alliance, including eight combat groups from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea, which can be quickly increased to the size of a brigade."
Protection of energy infrastructure
NATO defense ministers decided to strengthen security measures for critical energy infrastructure after the sabotage on the Nord Streams, Stoltenberg said. The Alliance is monitoring the Baltic and North Seas with increased attention and has doubled its naval presence in their waters, he added.
Stoltenberg pointed out that the countries of the alliance "are increasing the exchange of intelligence data and strengthening surveillance in all areas: from space to underwater objects." NATO experts will hold their first meeting this year to discuss cooperation in this direction in detail, the Secretary General noted.
On September 26, unprecedented destruction was recorded on three lines of the Nord Stream - 1 and Nord Stream-2. Swedish seismologists have registered two explosions on the routes of the occurrence of gas pipelines. After that, the investigators of the FSB of Russia opened a criminal case on an act of international terrorism in connection with the explosions.
On October 13, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced that Russia has not yet received permits to investigate accidents on the Nord Streams.
Nuclear threat
Answering numerous questions from journalists about the potential nuclear threat against the background of the conflict in Ukraine, the NATO Secretary General said that the circumstances under which the North Atlantic Alliance may use nuclear weapons are "extremely remote." NATO will remain vigilant and closely monitor Russia's new nuclear exercises, he added, stressing that the alliance knows that these exercises are planned and annual.
Earlier, at a press conference on the eve of the meeting of the alliance's defense ministers on October 12-13 in Brussels, Stoltenberg said that NATO sees no signs that Russia intends to use nuclear weapons, but continues to closely monitor the objects of the Russian nuclear military infrastructure.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on October 6 that Washington and other Western capitals may be interested in escalating the situation around the use of nuclear weapons in order to later blame Moscow. According to her, this is being done within the framework of Washington's destructive line to ensure global dominance, without regard to the danger of provoking a direct armed clash of the largest nuclear powers, fraught with catastrophic consequences.
