LONDON. June 17 (Interfax) - NATO member states are discussing the deployment of a large quantity of nuclear weapons and the provision of their readiness due to "threats from Russia and China," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with The Telegraph newspaper.
"I won't go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. That's exactly what we're doing," Stoltenberg said.
He called for a transparent nuclear strategy of NATO and said it should become a cornerstone of the deterrence policy.
"NATO's aim is, of course, a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance." Stoltenberg said, adding, "Transparency helps to communicate the direct message."