NATO’s annual Steadfast Noon nuclear deterrence exercise will take place in Italy from October 13 to 23. The alliance says the drills are long planned, are not directed against any country and will not use live nuclear weapons.
Seventeen NATO members will take part. The alliance says the exercise is intended to maintain readiness and practice procedures that support nuclear deterrence and defence. NATO described the drills as routine and said they are not linked to current international events.
NATO Head of Nuclear Policy Nassima Barrows said the exercise poses no threat to Russia or other countries. The Associated Press quoted her describing the annual drills as predictable. NATO has not disclosed the scenarios or specific equipment to be used.
Italian opposition lawmaker Angelo Bonelli of the Greens and Left Alliance asked Defence Minister Guido Crosetto why Parliament had not been notified about the multinational exercise. Bonelli said it would include a simulated scenario involving the use of U.S. nuclear weapons stationed in Europe. NATO says no live nuclear weapons will be used.
A day earlier, Russia’s representative to the OSCE, Dmitry Polyansky, criticized the alliance’s actions and said they were bringing Europe closer to direct military confrontation. His remarks addressed the wider dispute between Moscow and NATO over military plans and exercises.