NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte dismissed Moscow’s nuclear threats and said the Alliance is prepared to defend its entire territory. He made the remarks on September 30 during the Euronews Defence & Space Summit in Brussels.
His comments came amid reports that Russia had allegedly sent NATO a letter warning against any attempt to isolate the Kaliningrad region. According to the reports, Moscow threatened to use its full arsenal, including nuclear weapons, in such a scenario. Rutte declined to confirm the contents of the letter.
The NATO chief stressed that the Alliance has prepared for various scenarios and is capable of defending all its members.
“We will defend every inch of NATO territory. There is no such threat at the moment, and if anything happens, we are ready to respond,” Rutte said.
He also urged Moscow to stop its nuclear threats and end the war in Ukraine.
“We are a defensive alliance. Stop the nuclear threats. And, above all, stop the war in Ukraine,” the NATO chief said.
Rutte also said he did not view Russia’s threats as a sign of an imminent escalation against NATO countries.
“Putin knows that he can never defeat NATO. I don’t take this seriously,” he stressed.
According to Rutte, Moscow is using nuclear rhetoric and hybrid actions in an attempt to weaken unity among the allies and divert their attention from Ukraine. He urged NATO members to remain calm, strengthen their defenses and continue supporting Kyiv.
“He wants us to lose focus when it comes to Ukraine,” Rutte said.
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