The NATO Secretary General has ruled out any attempt Wednesday to imitate Russia in its quest to increase its nuclear weapons arsenal.

NATO defense ministers gathered in Brussels on Wednesday to boost the strength of the NATO Response Force, including its air and sea components.

"We must do more to increase investment, we will not be dragged into an arms race but we must keep our countries safe," Jens Stoltenberg told reporters ahead of the meeting.

The meeting comes more than a week after Stoltenberg accused Russia on June 16 of "sabre rattling" in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcing that 40 new intercontinental ballistic missiles would be put into service. 

The Russian army’s weapons are being renewed in a scheduled program and by 2020 at least 70 percent of the army will be using new generation weapons, according to Putin.