NATO countries discuss how to deal with Putin’s nuclear threats

The defense ministers of the NATO countries are meeting in Brussels on Thursday to discuss how to deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use nuclear weapons in the war against Ukraine. According to information from alliance circles, a meeting in the format of the so-called nuclear planning group should deal, among other things, with the NATO nuclear weapons strategy and plans for modernizing the current infrastructure.

In addition, a briefing on the annual maneuvers to defend Alliance territory with nuclear weapons is planned. According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, the Steadfast Noon deterrence exercise is scheduled to begin next week.

Russia recently annexed four occupied Ukrainian territories in violation of international law. Putin, among others, announced that they would defend it with all available means. In doing so, the Kremlin chief fueled concerns that Russia could use tactical nuclear weapons with limited ranges on the battlefield.

Information on possible decisions of the nuclear planning group is not expected. They are usually secret. With the exception of France, all NATO countries are involved in the consultations. The currently only nuclear power among the EU states has relied on the principle of “nuclear independence” for decades.

Another topic of the defense ministers’ meeting is joint efforts to expand the capacities of the armaments industry. In addition, after the alleged acts of sabotage against the Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipelines, additional protection for critical infrastructure should be involved. In addition to pipelines, this also includes power grids and data cables, for example.