Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the annual NATO nuclear exercise that began today is fueling tensions amid the "hot war" in Ukraine, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Peskov added that it is impossible to discuss the issue of nuclear weapons with the US despite signals from Washington that it is ready for this, because Western nuclear powers are directly and indirectly involved in the conflict against Russia.
On Thursday, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced that the alliance's annual exercise "Unwavering Noon" will begin today. The exercise will take place against the backdrop of heightened nuclear rhetoric by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Reuters notes.
Peskov also rejected claims by Germany's foreign intelligence chief that Russia would be ready to attack NATO by the end of the decade. Pointing to the successive expansion of NATO, the spokesman stated that it is the alliance that is advancing towards Russia, not the other way around.