NATO debates future of nuclear arms in Europe

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuoglu (L), United Kingdom permanent representative to NATO Mariot Leslie (2nd L) and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (C) attend the informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers, in Tallinn April 22, 2010. NATO ministers meeting in Estonia on Thursday will debate the future of battlefield nuclear weapons and relations with Russia after Washington and Moscow agreed a major arms reduction treaty this month.

TALLINN (Reuters) - NATO ministers debated on Thursday calls to do away with battlefield nuclear weapons in Europe and Washington stressed its commitment to the defense of former Soviet states nervous about Russia.

Attention has turned to battlefield, or "tactical," nuclear bombs stationed with U.S. and allied air forces in Germany and in Russia after Washington and Moscow reached a deal to cut the number of deployed long-range, "strategic" nuclear warheads by about 30 percent.

Germany's ruling coalition committed in November to withdrawal of U.S. nuclear weapons from German territory, and in February, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Luxembourg called for a debate about their future in Europe.

However, Russia says it will not start destroying its massive superiority in the weapons until Washington removes its bombs from Europe, a prospect worrying to former Soviet bloc states that are now part of NATO.

At a news conference with Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Paet, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sought to reassure former Soviet states who see the presence of battlefield nuclear weapons in Europe as a symbol of U.S. commitment to collective defense.

"Let me be clear: our commitment to Estonia and our other allies is a bedrock principle for the United States and we will never waiver from it," she said.

Washington wants to address the issue of battlefield nuclear weapons, which many analysts consider obsolete in the post-Cold War world, but has yet to make public its position.

CLINTON TO EXPLAIN PRINCIPLES

A senior U.S. official said Clinton would lay out some guiding principles during a dinner meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Tallinn, the Estonian capital.

Washington and NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen have stressed the need for unity among the 28 NATO states and while no agreement is expected in Tallinn, the alliance aims to set out its nuclear stance in a new strategic vision due to be approved at a summit in November.

Rasmussen told the meeting it was important to build on progress in arms control, but also for the alliance to maintain a nuclear deterrence.

"NATO should play its part and we will discuss that based on the clear principles of solidarity, shared burdens and the need to ensure deterrence in an uncertain world."

Analysts say tactical nuclear weapons have little military rationale in a post-Cold War world, especially as their readiness had been so reduced they would take months to deploy.

But a key concern is that any move to remove NATO nuclear weapons could prompt Turkey to develop its own deterrent, given its worries about nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.

Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said there were too many tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, but there needed to be a reciprocal agreement with Russia, which has an arsenal estimated at 5,400 weapons, 2,000 of which are deployable, against an estimated 200 NATO operational weapons.

Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said it was time to make progress with disarmament but pledged not to take unilateral steps.

"The Americans included in their concept that tactical nuclear weapons might be reduced. This is big progress compared to the situation a few months ago," he said. "Of course we would not go it alone and would coordinate it within the alliance."

Tomas Valasek of the Center for European Reform think tank said allies had to decide whether to move on tactical weapons unilaterally or in exchange for cuts by Russia and to give reassurances on collective security to former Soviet states.

"But I suspect the days of tactical nuclear weapons in Europe are over, barring a catastrophic meltdown in relations with Russia. It's just a matter of when and how," he said.

(Additional reporting by Ilona Wissenbach)