Merkel called for NATO to create a system to deter Russia

German Chancellor from 2005 to 2021 Angela Merkel said on Nov. 26 that it is necessary to create a system within NATO to deter Russia.

"A convincing deterrence system for the foreseeable future is only possible within NATO. Europe alone will not be able to achieve this. <...> Deterrence is still not enough because it has not kept up with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's arms buildup," the former chancellor said at the launch of her book "Freedom," which was broadcast by Die Zeit.

According to Merkel, with Donald Trump in the White House, creating such a deterrent system will be difficult.

"For the United States, given the challenges associated with Russia and China, it is important to have allies in Europe," Gazeta.Ru quotes Angela Merkel as saying.

The former chancellor specified that the topic of deterrence concerns questions about what military capabilities NATO countries have if one of them is attacked.

Strengthening the document: How Russia's nuclear doctrine has changed

Why Ukraine is betting on escalation and what happened in the Bryansk region

Earlier, on November 25, Angela Merkel called Russia's nuclear potential frightening. She also called on Western countries to do everything possible to prevent a nuclear conflict.

Russian President Vladimir Putin approved an updated nuclear doctrine on November 19. It includes the amendments announced in September. In particular, for the first time a definition of a potential adversary against whom the Russian Federation is conducting nuclear deterrence is introduced.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov specified that the measure brings the norms in this area in line with the current situation. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov also noted that Russia is strictly committed to the position of preventing nuclear war and defends a world in which nuclear weapons should never be used.

Commenting on the adoption of the document, the US State Department said that Washington had no plans to react to the changes. At the same time, it asserted that the United States and NATO "do not pose any threat to Russia."

At the same time, Director of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service Sergei Naryshkin said on November 20 that the West carelessly met Putin's decision to adjust the state's nuclear doctrine. According to him, Western countries realize that the adjustments largely devalue the efforts of the United States and NATO, which are trying to inflict a "strategic defeat" on Russia.