TEHRAN- The war of words is escalating between Russia and NATO over the use of nuclear weapons over the Ukraine conflict. Such war of words comes as nuclear weapons threaten the entire planet Earth.

When asked how the U.S.-led NATO military alliance would strike Russia with the use of nuclear armed weapons, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters, “We will not go into exactly how we will respond, but of course this will fundamentally change the nature of the conflict. It will mean that a very important line has been crossed.”

"We have monitored Russian nuclear forces for decades and of course we will continue to monitor them very closely and we will stay vigilant" Stoltenberg said.

Stoltenberg’s remarks came after a meeting of NATO’s secretive nuclear planning group, which was held among the alliance's defense ministers in Brussels.

This is while NATO is set to hold a nuclear armed exercise, dubbed "Steadfast Noon" on Monday, with dozens of warplanes that can drop nuclear bombs. They are set to take part in training flights over Belgium, the North Sea and Britain to practice the use of U.S. nuclear bombs based in Europe.

"It's an exercise to ensure that our nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective," the NATO chief said.

Belgium is hosting the drills that will involve 14 countries and up to 60 warplanes, including U.S. B-52 long-range nuclear bombers that will fly in from Minot Air Base in North Dakota, a NATO statement said.

The fighter jets from allied nations, such as Belgium and Germany, can carry B61 nuclear bombs provided by the United States. They will be escorted by other warplanes along with refueling aircraft and spy planes. Three of NATO's 30 allies have nuclear weapons - the U.S., the UK and France.

President Vladimir Putin had previously said that he would resort to nuclear weapons if Russia's independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty was  threatened and warned that he "wasn't bluffing". The threat was also believed to be aimed at warning NATO against getting involved in the Ukraine conflict and target Russian territory.

He also ordered the country’s ground units equipped with intercontinental ballistic missiles, as well as vessels from the Northern and Pacific Fleets, to be placed on high combat alert. He said the decision was linked to “aggressive statements” by U.S. and EU officials.

However, later the Russian Foreign Ministry clarified that Moscow is not threatening anyone with nukes, but is urging the U.S. not to interfere in the Ukraine conflict, which the Kremlin views as a matter of national security.

At a conference marking the 60th anniversary of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said Moscow had noticed “Washington’s painful reaction” to Russia placing its nuclear arsenal on high combat alert in February.

"We explain that we do not threaten anyone with nuclear weapons,” Ryabkov said, referring to Russia’s military doctrine, which provides for the use of the nuclear arsenal in self-defense when there is an existential threat to the state.

At the same time, Ryabkov noted, Russia was warning the West that there are “risks” to its interference in Ukraine and it "strongly urges” Washington “to avoid a situation that could lead to a direct military clash with Russia.” The Russian official also accused the U.S. of deliberately "lowering the nuclear threshold ".

Stoltenberg went on to say that “even any use of a smaller nuclear weapon [by Russia] will be a very serious thing, fundamentally changing the nature of the war in Ukraine, and of course that would have consequences.”

Speaking to reporters at NATO headquarters, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said his country was monitoring any indications of a change in Russia's nuclear posture that would suggest it may move ahead with a nuclear strike but acknowledged "we've not seen any indicators at this point that would lead us to believe that".

Speaking in the Kazakh capital Astana on Thursday, Putin warned that any clash with NATO troops would lead to a "global catastrophe".

Experts say the U.S. and its allies will not directly confront Russian forces. But rather leave that job to the Ukrainian army.

Washington is sending another batch of arms to Kiev as part of a new $725m package. That would bring the total U.S. military assistance since the conflict began in February to more than $17.5 billion. 

In a statement, the U.S. Defense Department said the latest package includes high-speed anti-radiation missiles (HARMs) and precision-guided artillery. The White House is using the Presidential Drawdown Authority which allows it to ship to Ukraine in the coming days.

It allows the Biden administration to send weapons without congressional approval. Separately, Ukraine is awaiting the delivery from the U.S. and Germany of sophisticated anti-aircraft systems this month according to the country's defense minister Oleksiy Reznikov. An IRIS-T air defense system that Ukraine recently received from Germany is "already in use", German defense ministry has revealed.

 Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said his Russian counterpart has never sought to deploy nuclear weapons in Ukraine. He categorically dismissed the notion that Moscow could resort to the nuclear option in the conflict with Kiev.

“The Russian leadership, including President Putin, has never set an objective of using nuclear weapons in Ukraine. There is no such need," he pointed out.

“The most important thing is to not back your opponent into a corner,” he said, urging the West not to cross Russia’s “red lines”.

Lukashenko said Russia has other weapons powerful enough that it has no need to resort to nukes in Ukraine. "Russia possesses, and that I know for sure, the most modern types of weapons. There is no need for nuclear weapons," Lukashenko said, adding that nuclear war should not be discussed “under any circumstances.”

"Even if one nation uses nuclear weapons, this would be the end of our planet. It will cause a chain reaction,” he said, adding that the Kremlin understands that very well.

He also noted that those who use nuclear blackmail against Russia “should know that the wind rose can turn around.”

The Kremlin has also repeatedly warned that an atomic war should never be fought. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has made it clear that Moscow is not considering a nuclear strike on Ukraine, given that there are no targets warranting such military measures.

The truth is that many Western leaders have made it no secret of their willingness to use nuclear weapons should their territory come under attack.

During the last race for the Prime Minister's post in the UK, Lizz Truss said she would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons. “I am ready to do it,” said the new British leader. “I think it's an important responsibility of a prime minister. I am ready to do it,” Truss said.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson repeated the same dangerous rhetoric when he was contending for the UK's new Prime Minister.

In fact, Johnson went one step further last year with his decision to increase the British nuclear stockpile by more than 40%, from 180 to 260 Trident submarine nuclear warheads. The ruling Conservative Party does have a longstanding love affair with starting new nuclear arms races.

That came at a time when much needed money could have been spent on the improving the country's national health service and investing in employment opportunities on the backdrop of the Covid-19 crisis.

U.S. President Joe Biden says, “I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily [use] a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon ... we have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.”

Touching on the nuclear tensions between Russia and NATO, European foreign policy chief Josep Borrel said, "It has to be clear that the people supporting Ukraine and the European Union and the member states, and the United States and NATO are not bluffing neither." 

"And any nuclear attack against Ukraine will create an answer -- not a nuclear answer but such a powerful answer from the military side - that the Russian army will be annihilated"

Of course, there has actually been a nuclear annihilation once before in history and it was the United States that committed it.

But there has never been a better opportunity for the international community to seriously get together and draw up plans to get rid of all weapons of mass destruction against humanity once and for all, especially nuclear weapons.