The deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe is part of the extended deterrence the U.S. provides to its NATO allies, Getemuller said.
The deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe is in line with the provisions of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and serves as a deterrent to prevent other countries from developing nuclear arsenals, former U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Rose Getemuller told RIA Novosti.
According to Getemuller, the deployment of US nuclear weapons in Europe is part of the extended deterrence that the US provides to its NATO allies. This is a legacy of the NPT negotiations of the 1960s, when the Soviet Union expressed concerns about the nuclear programs of NATO countries, especially Germany, she explained.
She also emphasized that the NPT is seen in NATO as a tool for non-proliferation of nuclear weapons in Europe, which has prevented many of the alliance's countries from obtaining their own nuclear arsenals.
The deployment of US nuclear weapons in Europe has been practiced since the 1950s. The alliance itself does not possess nuclear weapons. US nuclear warheads are stored at air bases in Italy, Germany, Turkey, Belgium and the Netherlands.
There are currently about 100 U.S. B61 free-fall nuclear bombs deployed in Europe.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov previously criticized the deployment of US nuclear weapons in Europe, calling it “unacceptable” and contrary to the NPT.
In response to the US actions, Russia deployed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in 2023.