The North Atlantic Alliance is ready to take military measures to resolve the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF Treaty) issue though dialogue with Russia still is the preferred option, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in an interview with the Norwegian News Agency on Thursday, TASS reported.

"Actions concerning the arms reduction agreement may be military in nature but we may also find a new approach," he said. The NATO secretary general also pointed to the ultimatum presented to Russia over its alleged violations of the Treaty. "We gave Russia one last chance. The deadline is February 2," Stoltenberg said.

When asked about the possibility to avoid raising tensions with Russia, he emphasized the importance of dialogue. "As long as NATO’s position is strong and solid, we can maintain dialogue with Russia. This is what I learned from Norway’s political activities. Norway has always been closely cooperating with Russia in many areas, not in spite of but because of NATO," he added.

The secretary general also mentioned NATO’s plans for 2019. According to him, "saving" the INF Treaty remains a top priority but "there is a need to get ready" to face a world without such a treaty. "It is so serious that I am not going to make speculations about what NATO will do in this case," Stoltenberg said commenting on the possible failure of talks.

According to him, disagreements within NATO will be another important issue, which are particularly based on US President Donald Trump’s statements about NATO's necessity. "We often think that NATO exists only to provide the US with an opportunity to keep an eye on Europe. But no, Europe also contributes to ensuring the security of the United States," the secretary general said, noting that NATO had invoked Article 5 after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.