(Bloomberg) -- NATO hasn't changed the status of its nuclear forces in response to President Vladimir Putin's decision over the weekend to put Russia's nuclear command on high alert.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the alliance hadn't increased the readiness of its nuclear forces following the announcement by Putin, according to an interview with NBC News on Monday. He also said in earlier comments that NATO had a responsibility to make sure the situation didn't get out of control.
Stoltenberg has repeatedly stressed that NATO is purely a defensive alliance and that it wouldn't intervene militarily in the war with Russia. NATO says the purpose of its nuclear forces are to deter aggression and that the circumstances under which they may be used are extremely remote.
The U.S., U.K. and France are the three countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization with nuclear weapons. NATO's nuclear deterrent capabilities include U.S. nuclear bombs stationed in Europe that would be flown on European aircraft.
Putin ordered Russia's strategic nuclear forces put on higher alert on Sunday, citing what he called “aggressive” statements from the leaders of NATO countries.
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