NATO Defense Ministerial is ongoing. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said ahead of the meetings that NATO Defence Ministers would take steps to ensure security in a more uncertain world.

“We will discuss and address the security implications of Russia’s growing suite of nuclear capable missiles. Russia’s deployment of the SSC-8 missile system led to the demise of the INF Treaty last year. Since then, Russia has continued to modernise its missile capabilities, including with hypersonic weapons. We will continue to ensure the NATO nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective.

NATO will not mirror Russia’s destabilizing behaviour. We have no intention to deploy new land-based nuclear missiles in Europe.

And NATO remains strongly committed to effective arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation, which make a key contribution to our security. So we continue to call for all actors, including Russia and China, to engage constructively. A new arms race would benefit nobody. And make the world a more dangerous place,” Stoltenberg said.

The Ministerial will also discuss NATO’s missions and operations, including in Afghanistan and in Iraq.