NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana said in an interview with The Associated Press that the group would react if Russia used chemical or nuclear weapons in its war against Ukraine.
“NATO is a defense alliance, but it’s also a nuclear alliance,” said Geoana, who is also a former Romanian foreign minister and ambassador to the United States. “If they use chemical weapons or other high-end systems against Ukraine, it will fundamentally change the nature of the war that Mr. Putin has waged against Ukraine.”
“I can guarantee that NATO is ready to respond appropriately,” Geoana added.
Geoana declined to tell the AP in detail what those actions might be, but his comments come as Russian officials have declined to say Russia will not use chemical or nuclear weapons in its invasion.
Russia has grown more desperate as the war has dragged on for more than a month, with Russian forces previously believing they would take over Ukraine within days.
“Mr. Putin probably believed in his own post-imperial fantasies and thought that Ukrainians would welcome them with open arms,” Geoana said come to Ukraine does not have the forces and ability to occupy all of Ukraine.”
Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, the international community responded with harsh sanctions and private companies pulled out of Russia.
Geoana said Russian President Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich PutinPentagon: Russia has partially lost control of the first captured Ukrainian city. Russian ambassador files lawsuit against Italian newspaper over article suggesting Putin’s death MORE failed to take into account “the bravery of the Ukrainian army” and the “unity of the political West” when deciding to start this war, according to the AP.
NATO estimates that more than 40,000 Russian soldiers have been killed, injured or captured since the invasion began.
“We see that for the time being, Russian military planning is trying to reassess the situation — to try to make up for the massive losses in people and materiel they suffered in the first month of the war,” Geoana said.
Allies have provided humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine, but have refrained from establishing a no-fly zone or deploying fighter jets, which the alliance sees as moves that would draw countries too directly into the fighting.