Stoltenberg: NATO is getting ready for more Russian missiles
NATO should get ready for actions in a new reality where Russia will deploy more military nuclear facilities near its European borders, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday, February 15, speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Evropeyskaya Pravda reported.
Stoltenberg stressed that NATO sill still give Russia six months to comply with the Treaty on the Elimination of Medium and Small-Range Nuclear Missiles capable of carrying a nuclear charge. Nevertheless, according to the secretary general, the Alliance should start getting ready for the termination of this contract now without waiting for the end of this period.
“Although we want to avoid an arms race, we cannot afford to be naive... We are getting ready for a world without the INF treaty and Russia with more missiles in Europe,” he said.
The Secretary General noted that during Putin’s famous speech in Munich 12 years ago, Russia was the first to question the need to preserve the nuclear agreement.
“It was here that Putin expressed a wish to leave the INF Treaty for the first time. Only one party adhered to the terms of this agreement, which did not add security for us,” he explained.
The Secretary General also spoke about the growth of China’s military power. “The growth of (the military power) of China is also a challenge.”
It was reported earlier that Jens Stoltenberg met Russian Foreign Minister Sergei on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference. Stoltenberg said that he personally asked Lavrov to release the Ukrainian sailors and ships which was captured by Russia in the Kerch Strait.
Earlier, it became known that NATO intends to increase its military presence in the Black Sea. Germany also expressed readiness to ensure the presence of the Bundeswehr’s warships in the Black Sea.