Russia using nuclear threats against NATO to divert attention from its setbacks in Ukraine - Rutte
Photo: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
NATO sees no immediate threat to the territory of the Alliance and considers Russia's intimidation an attempt to divert attention from its problems in Ukraine, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said this, according to Euronews.
The Alliance chief's statements came after media reports about a letter from Russia in which Moscow warned NATO against attempts to cut Kaliningrad off from mainland Russia and threatened to use its entire arsenal, including nuclear weapons.
Rutte declined to confirm the contents of the letter, but called on Russia to stop its nuclear intimidation and stressed that the Alliance is fully prepared to defend its allies.
"We have prepared for this, we have planned for this, and this is true for the whole of NATO. We will defend every inch of NATO territory. That threat is not there, and if anything happens, we are ready to counter it," he said at the Euronews Summit on defense and space.
The NATO chief added that he does not take such threats seriously because Russia will never be able to win a confrontation with NATO.
"Everybody knows that he (Russian President Vladimir Putin - ed.) can never win against NATO. I don't take this seriously. But of course, we have to reply and make clear that NATO is a defensive alliance, as I said, and stop the war in Ukraine and stop the nuclear threats," the Alliance chief stressed.
According to Rutte, the Kremlin's latest escalation in rhetoric is linked to the fact that the war against Ukraine is not going in Moscow's favor. He noted that Russia is trying to divide the allies and shift the focus of attention.
According to NATO, the Russian army loses 43,000 military personnel killed or seriously wounded on the front line every month.
At the same time, Kyiv is in a better position than a year ago, while its partners continue to provide military support.
The NATO chief called on member states to remain calm, increase defense investment, and continue supporting Ukraine.
The Kremlin regime regularly resorts to nuclear threats and intimidates the West with escalation.
In particular, on September 30, the Russian Embassy in Ireland issued another set of ultimatums regarding the Kaliningrad region and said it was prepared to use its entire arsenal if NATO countries block the region.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's allies and international partners are closely monitoring such rhetoric from the Kremlin.
Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Russia could use nuclear weapons if its forces became critically exhausted on the battlefield and on the home front.
