NATO defence ministers discussed on Thursday how to prepare for a potential Russian nuclear attack against Ukraine and maximise the alliance’s nuclear deterrent. “NATO’s nuclear deterrence preserves peace, prevents coercion and deters aggression,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after the gathering in Brussels. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and irresponsible,” he said. Ministers of 29 of the 30 alliance’s member states took part in a classified meeting of the so-called Nuclear Planning Group on Thursday to assess the latest developments and thre…