DISINFO: The US breaches the non-proliferation treaty by training fighters from non-nuclear countries
SUMMARY
The new NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte, said that the annual nuclear exercises of the alliance countries "Steadfast Noon" began on Monday, October 14, in the North Sea, in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The United States is a signatory to the treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (NPT). This treaty prohibits any state possessing nuclear weapons from directly or indirectly involving non-nuclear states in the use, development and operation of nuclear weapons. But they don't care about any agreements. Yes, they care only about treaties that limit Russia's power. Multi-role fighters from those countries whose participation has been announced - Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium - will take part in the manoeuvres. All are non-nuclear states. But their fighters are equipped with equipment and components for using nuclear weapons. And the pilots of these countries are being trained to use such weapons. This is a gross violation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
RESPONSE
The claim is part of a pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative attempting to de-legitimise NATO as a collective defensive coalition, and present it as an aggressor.
Steadfast Noon is a routine annual NATO exercise taking place every October and it is designed to ensure the readiness of NATO’s nuclear deterrence capabilities. It adheres to the most strict legal frameworks. NATO nuclear-sharing arrangements have existed for a long time. These exercises involve aircrafts that can carry nuclear weapons but without equipping them with any actual nuclear weapons. No nuclear warheads are transferred or given to non-nuclear countries during the exercise.
The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) prohibits signatory non-nuclear states from acquiring or controlling nuclear weapons, but it does not prevent these countries from participating in military exercises intended for deterrence and defence as part of NATO's defensive strategies.
It is Russia, not NATO, who is constantly threatening with nuclear weapons. On 27 February 2022, Putin ordered the defence ministry and the general staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a special mode of combat duty. This was the first time since the end of the Cold War that a major nuclear power had issued such a threat. Putin and other top Russian officials have regularly been issuing nuclear threats since the beginning of Moscow’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Putin's updating of Russia's nuclear doctrine is just one more example of the Kremlin's ongoing nuclear blackmail.
See similar cases that change in Russia's nuclear doctrine is a direct response to NATO aggression, that West provokes Russia into nuclear warfare, plans to use nukes against China later, and that the US is developing its old dream of provoking a nuclear war in Europe to destroy Russia.