The Kremlin has accused NATO of fuelling tensions surrounding the war in Ukraine with its annual nuclear deterrence exercise launched on Monday. “In the context of the hot war being waged in the Ukraine conflict, such exercises only lead to a further escalation of tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told the Russian agency Interfax. Russia has repeatedly conducted its own nuclear manoeuvres over the past two and a half years, and threatens to use nuclear weapons if certain red lines are crossed. NATO launched its Steadfast Noon exercise on Monday, with around 2,000 military personnel fr…