Russia has also purposefully raised the level of risk for the possible use of nuclear weapons, the main goal primarily being to discourage Western Allies from offering military support to Ukraine and to instill fear in decision-makers. A long-held taboo that made an actual application of nuclear force unthinkable has been verbally discarded. While many experts calculate that risk to be low – not higher than five percent – Putin and his aides have chosen to abandon the rational caution exercised by the majority of his Soviet predecessors. Compared to Cold War practice, today, Kremlin propagandists and officials engage in highly irresponsible rhetoric advocating for the use of Russia’s nuclear arsenal against Ukraine, and possibly even against NATO states. This is backed by exercises (at least two this year) openly testing the Russian military’s ability to fire nuclear warheads at Western targets and protect Russia from possible counter-strikes. The Russian president has even shown his willingness to bring Belarus into the nuclear equation. Such brinkmanship has contributed to the return of nuclear arms into the power competition on a global stage.
Two months ago, russian Foreign Minister lavrov spoke to Russian state-run media and said that a nuclear war threat “cannot be underestimated” but later said he didn’t want the risks “artificially inflated.”
But what worth words of putin and his entourage, it’s enough to remind
“We have no plans to invade Ukraine”
“We’re not killing civilians”
“We have total control of Ukrainian airspace”
“We never wanted to capture Kyiv”
It makes us wonder how seriously we should take the truth of russian statements…Really, if you are such mad to have a deal with putin, be ready sleeping with your eyes open and a hatchet under your pillow.
Ukraine officials claim Russian Iskander missiles struck Kramatorsk on July 21, killing one person. According to the Governor of Donetsk, a school and 86 residential buildings were destroyed in the attack. According to the Mayor of Nikopol, russian troops shelled the city with Multiple Launch Rocket Systems. Meanwhile, Belarusian President lukashenko has called for an agreement to end the war to avoid the “abyss of nuclear war”. Lukashenko warned the West saying “any further is nuclear war.”
As usually, lukashenko is talking in the wrong direction. If he is worried about a nearby nuclear strike, he needs to face his troops towards the russian aggressor.People around the world, even russian supporters have to take note that it is putin making these nuclear threats. They need to realize that if a nuclear weapon is fired, it will be by russia and not the West. Can the world condone that!
Today putin is actually hitler but with nuclear weapons and only through joint efforts we can stop him. All Ukrainian ask is support in forging a reliable and efficient partnership that will enable the whole world, through joint efforts, to prevent and manage control russian nuclear threats and risks.
