“Don’t scare anyone”
Pistorius: Don’t give in to Putin’s nuclear threats
14.06.2024, 13:42
In Brussels, NATO members are discussing a coordinated counterattack in the event of a nuclear attack by Russia. Defense Minister Pistorius appeals to his colleagues not to take Putin’s threats too seriously and instead to stick to the alliance’s defense course.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius does not see any risk of escalation as a result of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear weapons threats for the time being. “We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by every statement he makes,” Pistorius said at a meeting of NATO’s nuclear planning group in Brussels.
Putin has a special way of “waging this hybrid war,” Pistorius continued. “Sometimes he threatens, sometimes he entices, sometimes he appears irritated, then aggressive again.” Germany and NATO must learn to deal with this and stay the course in supporting Ukraine and in their own defense and deterrence.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he wanted to discuss with the defense ministers “the further adaptation of nuclear capabilities to the current security situation.” Before the meeting, he had spoken of “significant progress” as the United States is currently modernizing its nuclear weapons arsenal in Europe.
Stoltenberg also referred to the Netherlands’ announcement that it would have the first F-35 fighter jets ready for so-called nuclear sharing. This means that the European allies could drop US nuclear weapons with fighter jets in an emergency. In Germany, US nuclear bombs are stored at the Büchel air base in the Eifel region.
Aid to Ukraine to be guaranteed even under Trump
Pistorius also welcomed NATO’s plan to better coordinate arms deliveries to Ukraine and the training of Ukrainian soldiers between the US and the Europeans. This would make support for Kyiv “even more useful,” he stressed.
The NATO countries agreed on the plan in principle on Thursday. It is intended to ensure that aid to Ukraine will continue even after a possible election victory by former US President Donald Trump. In return, the Europeans will take on more responsibility from the US, which has so far been the main coordinator of the aid.