NATO member states have begun consultations regarding the need to place nuclear weapons on alert, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said.

Axar.az reports citing foreign media.

"I won't discuss operational specifics about the number of nuclear warheads that should be active or in storage, but these issues require consultation. That's precisely what we are doing," he stated. Stoltenberg added that transparency on this matter "helps to communicate the clear message" that NATO remains a "nuclear alliance."

"While NATO's ultimate goal is a world without nuclear weapons, as long as they exist, we will maintain our nuclear capabilities. A world where Russia, China, and North Korea possess nuclear weapons, and NATO does not, is more dangerous," Stoltenberg stressed.