It is important for the United States that Russia understands all the consequences of such an unacceptable escalation.
The very idea that in 2022 a permanent member The UN Security Council to use nuclear weapons to conquer a neighboring country seems unthinkable. But such a threat still exists.
For months, commentators and officials in Russia have thundered with nuclear weapons, praising Moscow's doctrine of “escalation for deescalation.” In other words, if Russia loses the war it has started, it reserves the right to launch a nuclear strike. And after two months of heavy fighting in Ukraine, the Russian military seems to be losing ground, writes Robert O'Brien, a former White House national security adviser and chairman of American Global Strategies, in the Wall Street Journal.
He recalls the destruction of the flagship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet cruiser “Moscow”, calling it only one of the last humiliating episodes for the Russian army. Ironically, a commentator on Russian state television condemned the cruiser's destruction, calling it an “act of war.” At the same time, he called on Moscow to “bomb Kyiv” in response.
If Ukraine's army can oust Russia from Donbass or even Crimea, Putin will not be able to hide this humiliating defeat from his people. If such a result becomes plausible, will Putin dare to use one of his thousands of “tactical” or “combat” nuclear munitions to destroy Kharkiv, Odessa, or even Kyiv, trying to save face and end the war on his own terms? US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan is well on his way.
“Now is the time to do everything possible to prevent Russia from escalating for the sake of de-escalation.” The United States clearly needs to convey to Moscow what awaits it if it follows this catastrophic path. Putin and his supporters must understand that if Russian nuclear weapons explode in Ukraine, the US response will be swift and substantial, “the author wrote, adding that sanctions against Russian exports would not be enough.
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According to O'Brien, the United States and its allies will not retaliate with a nuclear strike on Russia. However, they must be prepared for other serious actions.
First, they must clear the Mediterranean of two more Russian Glory-class cruisers, the ships that accompany them and the submarine. This can be done through a diplomatic démarche, followed by more decisive action to force Russia to comply.
Second, all air and ground assets in Syria and Libya must be destroyed. The United States and NATO could do so in a matter of hours if Russia refuses to return its troops home.
Third, completely destroy all pipelines through which Moscow transports its gas and oil to the West, so that there is no hope of resuming energy supplies to Europe. The military could help civil engineers accomplish this task.
Fourth, all non-Western countries, including China, need to be warned that buying Russian oil will impose penalties from the United States, Japan and the EU, which will effectively cut their economies from around the industrial world.
And one last piece of advice: Russia's dreams of making money on Iran's nuclear sector need to be shattered. The very idea that the West will simply stand aside while Iran develops nuclear weapons must be dispelled. The United States, Israel and allied Arab countries could give Tehran a short time to completely dismantle its nuclear program. If he refuses, key targets in the program could be destroyed by Allied air force.
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O'Brien notes that these are just some of the many steps that will need to be taken if Putin strikes a nuclear strike on Ukraine. Now we need to convey this warning to the Kremlin. Powerful and well-organized deterrence by the free world, which halted nuclear attacks during the Cold War, needs to be revived to protect Ukraine from nuclear tragedy.
that Russia, which has launched a full-scale war against Ukraine, allegedly can use nuclear weapons in four cases .
See special topic: OnlyFans has temporarily suspended payments to Russian artists The company has said it will not support the work accounts with Russia. Russia is secretly recruiting mercenaries in Ethiopia and Eritrea – Reuters The Russian Federation hopes to replenish its army in Ukraine at the expense of African mercenaries. Surkis was detained at the border – media Now he is waiting for the decision of border guards on whether he will be allowed or not. Russia planned to relocate Ukrainians to Siberia before the war – Danilov In particular, our citizens had to build several large cities in those parts. French Finance Minister: EU embargo on Russian oil – a matter of weeks However, the issue of banning gas imports from Russia is not currently being considered.
