Moscow slams NATO over annual nuclear deterrence drills

The Kremlin has accused NATO of fuelling tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine with its annual nuclear deterrence exercise launched on Monday.

"In the context of the hot war being waged in the Ukraine conflict, such exercises only lead to a further escalation of tensions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian agency Interfax.

Russia has repeatedly conducted its own nuclear manoeuvres over the past two and a half years, and threatens to use nuclear weapons if certain red lines are crossed.

NATO launched its Steadfast Noon exercise on Monday, with around 2,000 military personnel from eight air bases participating over the next two weeks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin recently ordered a change to the country's nuclear doctrine that would allow the use of nuclear weapons even if Russia sees its existence threatened by the use of conventional weapons.

The move aims to deter the West from allowing Ukraine to use supplied long-range weapons for strikes against military targets deep inside Russia.

Peskov said that Russia considers negotiations to reduce the nuclear weapons potential in the world to be necessary. However, since the nuclear powers US, Britain and France are currently involved in the war due to their supply of conventional weapons to Ukraine, this is impossible, he said.

In the past, Putin had warned of a new nuclear arms race and proposed talks between the major nuclear powers on new disarmament initiatives.