NATO chief slams Putin's 'reckless nuclear rhetoric', says ‘it's harmful’ | World News

NATO Secretary Basic Jens Stoltenberg accused President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday of "harmful" rhetoric after Russia's chief hinted Moscow might use nuclear weapons over the conflict in Ukraine.

"That is harmful and reckless nuclear rhetoric. It is not new as he has finished it many occasions earlier than. He is aware of very nicely that a nuclear conflict ought to by no means be fought and can't be gained, and it'll have unprecedented penalties for Russia," Stoltenberg mentioned on the sidelines of the United Nations Basic Meeting in New York.

Stoltenberg mentioned NATO would "make it possible for there isn't any misunderstanding in Moscow" concerning the alliance's willingness to defend itself.

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"Precisely how we'll react, after all, will depend on what sort of scenario and what sort of weapons they could use," he mentioned at an occasion hosted by Reuters information company.

"A very powerful factor is to forestall that from taking place."

The NATO chief mentioned that to this point the Western army alliance had not seen any modifications in Russia's nuclear posture, "however we monitor this very carefully and we keep vigilant".

Putin mentioned in a speech on Wednesday that Moscow would use "all of the means at our disposal to guard Russia and our folks" and ordered a partial army mobilisation after a sequence of setbacks in Ukraine.

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"The speech of President Putin demonstrates that the conflict shouldn't be going in line with plan, he has made a giant miscalculation," Stoltenberg mentioned.

He mentioned the mobilisation "will escalate the battle and that can imply extra struggling, extra lack of lives".

However he mentioned Moscow might battle to deploy any new forces successfully after issues to this point with tools and command and management over troops.