As the 28-nation alliance formally discussed nuclear weapons for the first time, Clinton urged members to include NATO's stance on tactical nuclear arms in a strategic review due by November. She also linked greater transparency about those weapons to Russian willingness to demonstrate a similar openness.
"First, we should recognize that as long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance," Clinton said during a working dinner in Tallinn, Estonia.
Political leaders in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxembourg and Norway, including German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, have urged the U.S. to pull its nuclear weapons from the continent. They say such U.S. deployments conflict with the spirit, if not the letter, of President Barack Obama's campaign against nuclear proliferation.
The five countries wrote a letter asking that the tactical weapons be included in NATO discussions for the first time. The German government referred to ending the presence of U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe.
Since the letter, the U.S. has signed a new agreement with Russia to reduce their strategic nuclear arsenals, issued a policy review that declares nuclear terrorism as a threat, and held a summit of world leaders in Washington to urge the securing of nuclear materials worldwide.
Arms Reduction
Russia and the U.S. haven't reached similar arms reduction agreements on tactical nuclear warheads, which are designed to be used in battlefields over shorter distances.
Europe hosts about 200 U.S. tactical nuclear weapons under NATO control, according to a 2009 report by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
The U.S. bombs in Europe are designed to be dropped from warplanes, in contrast with strategic nuclear weapons that can be fired over intercontinental distances from long-range missiles or bombers or submarines.
The U.S. shouldn't try to link the withdrawal of its tactical nuclear weapons from Europe with reciprocal Russian actions, because officials in Moscow have long cited the U.S. arsenal in refusing to negotiate about its own tactical bombs, said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Washington-based Arms Control Association.
"Obstacle' to Talks
"These are really an obstacle to getting Russia into a negotiation," Kimball said in a telephone interview. "As long as we keep them there, it provides them with a cynical excuse not to engage in talks."
Russia is estimated to have between 2,000 and 6,000 tactical nuclear warheads, according a January report from the Congressional Research Service.
"In any future reductions, our aim should be to seek Russian agreement to increase transparency on non-strategic nuclear weapons in Europe," Clinton said.
The pursuit of Russian transparency was one of five principles Clinton laid out to guide debate on NATO's approach to nuclear weapons. Others included NATO members sharing the "nuclear risks and responsibilities" and the need for NATO to broaden deterrence against 21st century threats.
Clinton also called on NATO to continue to reduce the role and number of nuclear weapons and declared that NATO would remain a nuclear alliance for the foreseeable future.
--With assistance from Viola Gienger in Washington. Editors: Ann Hughey, Bob Drummond.
To contact the reporter on this story:
Nicole Gaouette in Washington at ngaouette@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story:
Jim Kirk at jkirk12@bloomberg.net.
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