âWe will always do what is needed to protect and defend our allies, but we donât think there is any need now to change the alert levels of NATOâs nuclear forces,â Stoltenberg said.
The Kremlin has raised the specter of nuclear war, reporting on Monday that its land, air and sea nuclear forces were on high alert following President Vladimir Putinâs weekend order. NATO itself has no nuclear weapons, but three of its members, the United States, Britain and France, do.
Stoltenberg stressed that Russia has signed a number of agreements, agreeing that nuclear war cannot be won and should not be fought.
The United States recently reinforced the eastern flank of NATOâs territory with some 5,000 additional troops.