NATO chief warns Russia of 'devastating' consequences if nuclear weapons are used against Ukraine

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said on May 20 that if Russia uses nuclear weapons against Ukraine, the reaction from NATO will be "devastating".

Russia and Belarus have begun joint nuclear weapons drills amid what Moscow described as the "threat of aggression," the Russian Defense Ministry said on May 19.

The drills, scheduled to run through May 21, involve Russia's Strategic Missile Forces, the Northern and Pacific fleets, long-range aviation command, and units from the Leningrad and Central military districts, the ministry said.

The exercises have added significance as they come amid growing warnings from Kyiv that Russia is trying to draw Belarus deeper into its war against Ukraine, while also expanding military infrastructure that could support future Russian operations against Ukraine or NATO's eastern flank.

Rutte was asked by journalists at a pre-ministerial press conference at the Foreign Ministers Meeting of NATO about the possibility of a Russian nuclear strike.

"Well, (Russia) knows if that happens, the reaction is devastating," Rutte said, adding that NATO was monitoring the exercises closely.

The exercises include preparations for the use of nuclear forces and launches of ballistic and cruise missiles at test ranges within Russia, according to the ministry.

More than 64,000 personnel and over 7,800 pieces of military equipment are taking part in the drills, including more than 200 missile launchers, more than 140 aircraft, 73 surface ships, and 13 submarines, eight of them strategic missile submarines, the ministry said.

The stated goals of the exercises are to improve command coordination, test troop readiness, and practice "deterrence" operations against a "probable adversary," according to the ministry.

Ukraine's Foreign Ministry condemned the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and the joint nuclear drills as an "unprecedented challenge" to global security architecture, calling on international partners to respond firmly.

Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on May 18 that Belarus's dictator, Alexander Lukashenko, has turned Belarus into a "platform for Russia's threats."