Mark Rutte: “Putin must know that nuclear war can never be won”. What does it say about NATO's annual nuclear exercise?

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said the successful annual nuclear exercise earlier this month gave him a “absolute confidence in the credibility of the nuclear deterrent of the North Atlantic Alliance” in the face of Russia's threats, writes Reuters on Saturday.

Rutte accuses Russia of using dangerous nuclear rhetoric. PHOTO INQUAM Photos / Octav Ganea

The claims were made in an interview with German weekly Welt am Sonntag, according to Agerpres, citing the foreign agency.

“When Russia uses dangerous and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, our populations must know that there is no need to panic, as NATO has a strong nuclear deterrent“, said Mark Rutte.

The Secretary General of NATO added, in the same interview:

“And (Russian President Vladimir) Putin must know that nuclear war can never be won and should never be worn”.

Since launching Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Putin has increased his threats to the West with potential nuclear fallout.

Russia could use nuclear weapons if hit by conventional missiles, Putin warned

Vladimir Putin said last month that Russia could use nuclear weapons if hit by conventional missiles, and that Moscow would consider any attack on it by a nuclear power a joint attack.

In response, NATO intensified its training exercises and strengthened its strategic coordination, especially on its eastern flank.