Russian President Vladimir Putin's reckless rhetoric about nuclear weapons should not dissuade NATO members from greater military aid to Ukraine, the outgoing Secretary General of the Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said today.
That's how he commented on Putin's statement last week that Russia could use nuclear weapons if Ukraine is attacked with missiles deep inside its territory.
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"It's a pattern of reckless Russian nuclear rhetoric and messaging, and this fits into that pattern. Every time we've stepped up our support with new types of weapons, battle tanks or F-16s, the Russians have tried to stop us," Stoltenberg said in interview for Reuters.
Western countries are considering whether to allow Ukraine to use the missiles they donate to attack Russian territory. Commenting on questions about whether this would change the course of the war, Stoltenberg says that nothing can change the entire situation on the battlefield in one moment, but that attacks deep inside Russia would make a difference on a wider scale. Otherwise, he adds, Russia will not respect any drawn borders that are internationally recognized.
He added that they have not succeeded so far and that even this attempt should not prevent NATO allies from supporting Ukraine.
He said NATO had not noticed any change in Russia's nuclear program "that would require any changes on our part."
The former prime minister of Norway said that for NATO, Putin's victory in Ukraine represents the greatest risk.
"The message would then be that when he uses armed force, but also when he threatens NATO allies, he gets what he wants and that will make us all more vulnerable," he said.
Stoltenberg states that he does not think that Putin's opinion can be changed when it comes to Ukraine, but that his calculation can be changed.
"We can change his calculations by showing that the cost of continuing the war is so high that he is better off sitting down and accepting Ukraine as a sovereign, independent nation," he said.
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