Nato won’t station more nuclear missiles in Europe despite threat from Russia
NATO’S secretary-general has warned that the military alliance will respond to what it insists are Russia’s violations of a key Cold War-era treaty – but will not station more nuclear missiles in Europe.
Jens Stoltenberg urged Moscow to return to compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty it agreed bilaterally with the US in 1987.
On February 2, Washington launched the six-month process of leaving the INF, insisting a missile system Russia calls the Novator 9M729 – known at Nato as the SSC-8 – breaks the pact’s range requirements.
The INF bans production, testing and deployment of land-based cruise and ballistic missiles with a range of 5005,500 kilometres.
“Any steps we take will be co-ordinated, measured and defensive, and we do not intend to deploy new groundbased nuclear missiles in Europe,” Mr Stoltenberg said in Brussels ahead of a meeting of alliance defence ministers.
He said they will today discuss “what steps Nato should take to adapt to a world with more Russian missiles”.
“Moscow continues to develop and deploy several battalions of the SSC-8 missile,” Mr Stoltenberg said.
“We all know that a treaty that is only respected by one side cannot keep us safe.”
The Pentagon believes Russia’s ground-fired cruise missile could give Moscow the ability to launch a nuclear strike in Europe with little or no notice. Russia insists it has a range of less than 500km, and claims US target-practice missiles and drones also break the treaty.
President Vladimir Putin has announced he is pulling Russia out of the INF too.
European Nato members are especially keen to avoid any nuclear build-up and a repeat of the missile crisis in the 1980s.
Nato allies decided to deploy US cruise and Pershing 2 ballistic missiles in Europe in 1983 as negotiations with Moscow faltered over its stationing of SS-20 missiles in eastern Europe.
‘A treaty only respected by one side cannot keep us safe’