NATO Head Says Members Are Discussing Putting Nuclear Weapons on Standby

(USNewsBreak.com) – Conflict is taking place worldwide these days. After two years, Ukraine continues to fight against Russia while China has Taiwan in its sights and regularly runs drills in contested waters to show off its military might. Israel continues its offensive against Hamas, and many smaller regional battles are taking place all over the globe. NATO head Jens Stoltenberg recently discussed the possibility of showcasing more nuclear weapons as a deterrent.

Exclusive Interview

Stoltenberg spoke with The Telegraph in an exclusive interview recently. During the discussion, he noted that NATO members were talking about taking nuclear weapons out of storage and putting them on display. He said taking such actions could deter foes, particularly China and Russia, which has threatened to use its nuclear stockpile.

The head of the alliance also made it clear that he would not disclose how many weapons allies might display, but “That’s exactly what [they’re] doing at NATO […] a nuclear planning group as we had during the defense ministerial meeting” this month. Still, Stoltenberg noted that the organization would maintain the global transparency needed to prepare the world in these dangerous times. This procedure represented a departure from how NATO did things when he assumed leadership 10 years ago. The organization kept matters much more under wraps then.

Stoltenberg says that adopting transparency as a cornerstone “helps to communicate the direct message that we, of course, are a nuclear alliance.” Providing a united front in the form of a nuclear flex shows enemies that should they launch a large-scale attack, they will face proportional and imminent consequences.

China as a Threat

While Russia is the nation that has threatened to use nuclear weapons on more than one occasion, Stoltenberg also cautioned that China is taking the necessary steps to build up its military and nuclear stockpile. He said the Asian country could have as many as 1,000 warheads in just six years. These two nations, and the volatile countries of North Korea and Iran, became the topics of much discussion during recent meetings.

China has continued to bolster its forces in the waters between the mainland and Taiwan, which it says it plans to bring back under its one-China umbrella, even if force is necessary.