Who's For World War III?
"Kyiv is well aware that such a step would mean a guaranteed escalation to World War III.""The suicidal nature of such a step [NATO welcoming Ukraine into its membership] is understood by NATO members themselves."Alexander Venediktov, deputy secretary, Russian Security Council"[In the event of a Russian military use of nuclear weaponry]: We will not go into exactly how we will respond, but of course this will fundamentally change the nature of the conflict.""It will mean that a very important line has been crossed.""Even any use of a smaller nuclear weapon will be a very serious thing, fundamentally changing the nature of the war in Ukraine, and of course that would have consequences."NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg
A
rational mind -- which under current circumstances making it clear that
it excludes Russian President Vladimir Putin -- would understand that
what Russia has embarked on, in a bid to swiftly and relatively without
much cost, restore Ukraine to the orbit of the Russian Federation,
integrating it geographically, reminiscent of the good old days of the
USSR's hegemonic stranglehold on Ukraine -- would understand that a
violent intrusion and annexation of its neighbour, and consequent
desperate threats of nuclear dimensions is itself suicidal.
Unfortunately,
the Kremlin sees the issue through its own dark lens of history,
heritage and conquest, illuminating the greatness that is Russia.
Ukraine, on the other hand, thinks quite rationally. It sees itself in
the talons of a neighbour that plans to expunge its history, tradition
and culture. A neighbour that once saw fit to bring down upon Ukraine
the spectre of a managed famine that wiped out millions of people
through the starvation called the Holodomor.
Moscow
does not withhold its bellicose intentions, making it clear that
Ukraine has no right to exist as a proudly independent, fully autonomous
nation. And despite protests from those Russians most affected by the
war; mothers of sons conscripted to the conflict, oligarchs made persona
non grata, their assets abroad seized, and Russian Ukrainians along
with human-rights personnel --- the greater Russian public is fully
supportive of pounding Ukraine into the ground, and absconding with what
is left.
Until,
that is, more Russian troops die, over the official count of 20,000
dead and countless more wounded. Mr. Putin has called an end to the
call-up, stating his goal of an additional 300,000 conscripts for the
front lines has been accomplished. That would be the front line that
keeps wavering and being shunted back toward the Russian border as the
great, fearless, ill-trained Russian army panics under the
counteroffensive of the Ukrainian military advance and flees, leaving
its weapons behind.
President
Volodymyr Zeleskyy announced an emergency bid for fast-tracking
membership into NATO immediately his Russian counterpart announced the
formal annexation of four Ukrainian provinces accounting for 18 percent
of its vast territory. Mr. Putin identifies his misfortune in the
campaign-gone-awry to U.S. meddling and, its encouragement of Ukraine to
counter the Russian invasion, providing a massive amount of highly
technical military equipment for good measure to Ukraine's advantage.
A
cornered Vladimir Putin snarls a reminder now and again that he
possesses a huge stockpile of nuclear weapons and his nuclear division
has been placed on 'alert'. These may be desperate threats, but they are
not empty ones. Now that the industrial heartland of Ukraine is
purportedly in Russia's possession, any further forays by Ukrainian
troops into the four provinces to regain their possession, is to be
treated as an 'act of war' to be defended by any measures, including
nuclear.
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP |
Which
implies that Russia's 'special military invasion' was no act of war,
but Ukraine's response certainly is, in Russia's regard. It is Ukraine's
intransigence in prolonging the war by denying Russia's claims of
history, heritage and possession, and therefore the deaths accruing from
the conflict as well as the destroyed infrastructure is Ukraine's
fault, fully and without equivocation. Russia is only doing what is
right; unseating a fascist government to free Ukrainians from servitude
to a neo-Nazi regime.
Russia
warns it would be justified in the use of nuclear devices, given the
West's and NATO's interference in its near abroad and the special
invasion of Ukraine. In fact, should the West consider the gift to
Ukraine of more powerful missiles that could conceivably wreak damage
over the border into Russia, nuclear arms could be pointed directly at
NATO-member assets in the region. Not an idle threat, Putin reiterates.
"We have a [nuclear] doctrine, which is clear.""The dissuasion is working. But then, the less we talk about it the less we brandish the threat, the more credible we are.:""Too many people are talking about it."French President Emmanuel Macron
France, stated President Macron in a television interview, would not respond with a nuclear strike.
Labels: Nuclear Threats, Russian Invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian Military Counteroffensive
<< Home