Mark Rutte, NATO Secretary General, is calling on political leaders in the West to focus more on the importance of nuclear weapons in public debates. — It is important that we talk more about nuclear deterrence with our societiesso that people understand how nuclear deterrence contributes to our common security, Rutte emphasizes in an interview with Die Welt.
If Russia uses “dangerous and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, our citizens must know that there is no reason to panic because “NATO has a strong nuclear deterrent.”reminds Rutte. — And Putin must know that a nuclear war can never be won and never needs to be waged, warns the former Dutch prime minister.
How to deter the world's largest nuclear power?
Out of 32 NATO countries three countries have nuclear weapons: the USA, France and Great Britain. At the beginning of 2023, the Americans had approximately 5,244 warheads (of which 1,700 operational), the French – 290 warheads (of which 280 operational), and the British – 225 warheads (of which 120 operational). Russia has 5,900 warheads (of which 1,674 are operational), making it the largest nuclear power in the world.
“Deterrence works based on the enemy's risk calculation,” explains former NATO general Heinrich Brauss. To put it in plain language: there is always a risk that the use of nuclear weapons by a country like Russia against a NATO country will result in the aggressor will also suffer serious damage from a nuclear counterattack. Therefore, the risk of the so-called second strike is intended to discourage an aggressor such as Russia from using lethal nuclear weapons.
— Nuclear deterrence is the highest guarantee of our security. It is important that our nuclear deterrent remains credible, safe, guaranteed and effective, Rutte said. The alliance has just concluded the Steadfast Noon nuclear exercises. “The exercise was conducted successfully, huh gives me absolute confidence in the credibility of NATO's nuclear deterrent. The exercise sent a clear message to any enemy that NATO can and will protect its allies from any threats.
Moscow wants to demonstrate strength
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has recently escalated his threats regarding nuclear capabilities. At the end of October talked about new types of nuclear weaponssuch as the Burevestnik long-range missile and the Poseidon torpedo. According to military analysts, the new weapon would explode near the coast and cause a tsunami. According to Russian media, the torpedo will be 20 meters long and weigh 100 tons. Its reach is estimated at 10,000. km.
The signal to be sent by the announcement of the new Poseidon nuclear superweapon is that Russia – recently derided by US President Donald Trump as a “paper tiger” – it remains a serious military power, especially when it comes to nuclear weapons, and is ready to use them. Meanwhile, a week ago, Trump announced the immediate start of new nuclear weapons tests. He justified this with the testing programs of other countries. The Kremlin has declared that it will also test nuclear weapons if Trump sticks to his announcements.
Donald Trump, president of the USA, in the White House. Washington, USA, November 6, 2025EPA/Aaron Schwartz / POOL / PAP
Since the start of full-scale war in Ukraine in February 2022, Russian leaders have increasingly threatened to use nuclear weapons. Moscow wants to prevent the West from supporting Ukraine in its defense campaign against Russia, which could result in the defeat of Russian armed forces and, in turn, threaten Russia's security.
This tactic of securing conventional war with nuclear threats and thus threatening the security of non-nuclear-weapon states has so far worked. The West fears Russia's possible use of nuclear weapons more than the consequences of its defeat in Ukraine. In this context, military expert Brauss sarcastically says that the West is “deterring itself.”
The head of Estonian foreign intelligence, Kaupo Rosin, tells Die Welt that nuclear rhetoric works “wonderfully” from Moscow's point of view: – Russia has concluded that people in the West are very afraid of this threat and that politicians deliberately limit and delay Western support for Ukraine. Our analyzes show that Russia uses the nuclear threat very methodically.
According to US intelligence agencies Moscow seriously considered using nuclear weapons in the fall of 2022.when Russian lines near the beleaguered Ukrainian city of Kharkov could no longer be held and the collapse of the entire front was inevitable. Then-US President Joe Biden said at the time: “Putin is not joking.”
