WATCH: Defense Secretary Austin calls out Russia’s ‘nuclear saber rattling’

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Thursday called “nuclear saber rattling” by Russia “irresponsible and reckless rhetoric.”

Watch Austin’s remarks in the player above.

His comments followed a meeting with fellow defense counterparts in Brussels, and came as both NATO and Russia said it would be carrying out nuclear exercises in the coming days.

Speaking to journalists, Austin said Russia could choose to de-escalate tensions and pull out of Ukraine at any time.

“Putin started this war as a matter of choice and certainly he has a choice that he can make to cease his aggressive behavior and redeploy his forces from the sovereign territory of Ukraine,” he said.

NATO is holding its exercise, dubbed “Steadfast Noon,” next week. The long-planned maneuvers are conducted around the same time every year and run for about one week. They involve fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads, but do not involve any live bombs.

Russia usually holds its own maneuvers around the same time, and NATO is expecting Moscow’s exercise of its nuclear forces sometime this month.

Austin also commented on Sweden and Finland’s ongoing efforts to join the military alliance, encouraging allies to “ratify the protocols for accession as soon as possible so that we can welcome both of these highly capable democratic partners into the alliance”.