NATO announces unlikely use of nuclear weapons by military alliance

The circumstances under which NATO could use nuclear weapons were assessed by the alliance as unlikely. About it says in the military bloc’s communique adopted at the NATO summit in Vilnius.

“The circumstances under which NATO would have to use nuclear weapons are extremely unlikely,” the document says. However, it says that any use of nuclear weapons against NATO will fundamentally change the nature of the conflict. The communiqué emphasizes that the purpose of the nuclear potential of the military alliance is to preserve peace and deter aggression.

In June, in a report by the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) saidthat Russia and the United States, which account for 90% of the world’s nuclear weapons stockpiles, increased the number of deployed nuclear warheads in 2022. Washington increased them to 1770 units (from 1744 in 2021), Russia to 1674 units (from 1588) .

In February, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the need to suspend the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). He motivated this decision by saying that under the conditions of a special military operation, US inspections of Russian enterprises and other facilities could be used to the detriment of Russia’s interests.

On June 16, at the SPIEF plenary session, Putin declaredthat Russia does not need to use nuclear weapons, but this is theoretically permissible only if the territorial integrity and independence of the state are threatened. Later, he clarified that Russia would continue to develop the nuclear triad, since it is the key to the country’s military security and world stability.