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Nato's Stoltenberg brags of sabre-rattling in eastern Europe

ANTI-ARMS campaigners hit back at the Nato leader today after he called on Britain to continue spending on weapons.

Nato general secretary Jens Stoltenberg said during a speech in London that he expected Britain to continue playing a major international role after leaving the European Union.

Mr Stoltenberg argued that maintaining the cold war alliance is in its members’ “strategic interest.”

But Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) chairman Dave Webb said the main problem with Nato was its sabre-rattling against Russia and China, staging giant military exercises and building bases.

“They are creating an arms race. If not helping, they are certainly initiating it,” he told the Morning Star.

“We would suggest the UK would be better off outside Nato. It would definitely be cheaper because they are pressuring our government to increase [spending on] defence, even though we have been cutting back on costs.”

Mr Webb questioned whether or not Nato defences were needed, saying: “We would be better off equipped in diplomacy and in ways of resolving conflict without force.”

Downing Street has insisted that Britain’s commitment to Nato "remains steadfast" despite Prime Minister Theresa May recently asking Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson to justify the country’s “tier one” status.

She supposedly sent “shock waves” through the Ministry of Defence after saying Mr Williamson should rethink Britain’s military capabilities.

Mayer Wakefield of the Stop the War Coalition said Nato’s continuing expansion is “a threat to world peace not an advance towards it.

“Why should taxpayers money be used to fund Nato aggression around the globe when our government cannot seemingly afford to build homes and our public services are chronically underfunded?” he asked.

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