WASHINGTON, June 18. /TASS/. NATO shouldn't promise to welcome Ukraine into the alliance in order to de-escalate tensions with Russia, which have increased after the start of the Ukrainian conflict, The American Conservative said.

According to the magazine, NATO and the US in particular should agree to talks with Russia to de-escalate nuclear risks that have increased due to the Ukrainian conflict. The magazine pointed out that this task has become even more important following the recent accession to NATO of formerly neutral Finland and Sweden, which has made Russia even more reliant on its nuclear arsenal. The article said that the nuclear deal between NATO and Moscow must include commitments not to admit Ukraine to the alliance and not to deploy the bloc's troops and infrastructure on Ukrainian territory.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on June 17 that the alliance's member states had begun consultations on the need to put nuclear weapons on alert. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Stoltenberg’s statements were yet another escalation of tensions.