DISINFO: NATO is an obstacle to global security
SUMMARY
As a result of its 2018 summit in Brussels, NATO has ceased to be a defensive alliance that contemplates the use of nuclear weapons only as an extreme measure. Instead it has become a “nuclear alliance” that no longer considers the use of nuclear weapons as an extreme measure. For this reason, NATO has become an obstacle to global security.
RESPONSE
Recurring pro-Kremlin narrative that US and NATO’s nuclear policies are a threat to world peace and security. See previous cases here. It is not true that NATO has ceased to be a defensive alliance, or that it no longer considers the use of nuclear weapons as an extreme measure. NATO’s present nuclear policy is based on the NATO 2010 Strategic Concept and on the NATO 2012 Deterrence and Defence Posture Review. According to these documents, the fundamental purpose of NATO’s nuclear forces is deterrence, which has been at the core of NATO’s mutual security guarantee and collective defence since its inception 70 years ago. Moreover, these documents stress that “the circumstances under which NATO might have to use nuclear weapons are extremely remote”. NATO’s 2018 summit in Brussels did not change these fundamental principles of its policy. It stated that the fundamental purpose of NATO's nuclear capability is to “preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression”, and reaffirmed that NATO would use nuclear weapons only in an “extremely remote” scenario if the fundamental security of any Alliance member was threatened by the aggression of a nuclear-capable state. This summit emphasised the need to enhance NATO nuclear deterrent capabilities given fact that the security environment had, since 2014, become more unstable and unpredictable as a result of Russia’s aggressive and often provocative foreign and security policies. At the same time, the summit stressed that NATO allies are strongly committed to taking effective measures to favor further nuclear disarmament consistent with the provisions of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. For further background see here.