NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has called on former US President Donald Trump not to undermine the Alliance's deterrence system. Stoltenberg said this at a briefing in Brussels on the eve of a meeting of NATO defense ministers.

"NATO has managed to prevent a military attack on any ally for 75 years," Stoltenberg said.

According to him, it was possible to implement this because all members of the Alliance clearly defended the position that they are ready to defend each other at any time.

"The whole idea of NATO is that an attack on one ally will lead to a response from the entire Alliance. As long as we stand together to defend this message, we prevent any military attack on any ally. Therefore, NATO's goal is to prevent war, preserve peace and make it impossible to attack NATO Allies," Stoltenberg said.

He emphasized that this has been done very successfully for decades, because the Alliance has a reliable deterrent system for enemies.

"Therefore, any suggestion that we don't stand behind each other, that we are not going to protect each other undermines the security of all of us, increases the risks, and for this reason it is very important that we make it clear in deed and in words that we adhere to NATO's commitment to the protection and defense of all Allies," the Secretary General emphasized.

At the same time, he called it good news that NATO member states are actually doing just that.

"We have the capabilities. We have the determination to protect and defend all our allies. And that's why we don't see any imminent threats against any NATO member, because since 2014 we have significantly defended our collective defense," Stoltenberg said.

He added that the Alliance is carrying out the strongest reinforcement of collective defense in a decade after Russia's illegal annexation of Ukraine's Crimea.

"My message (to Trump) is exactly the same as I said: "We must not undermine the credibility of our deterrence system. And it's not just about the capabilities we invest in, but also about how we maintain contact. Because our enemies are aware of our deterrence. We must not leave any room for miscalculation or misunderstanding for Moscow about our readiness, commitment and determination to defend all our allies," Stoltenberg emphasized.