why is everybody so determined that if the shit starts nukes are going to be the first things deployed? Im really not getting it.
Unlike the US, some countries WANT to win wars they are roped into.
What else does NKorea have, that can hit Russia?
The Norks can threaten South Korea with massive artillery bombardment, but that only restrains South Korea and the US.
Are North Korean subs going to start trying to sink Russian ships? Ten minutes after THAT starts, NKorea will no longer have subs, nor the base the subs came from.
Is your contention that a war between us and Russia could stay conventional and that one side would accept conventional defeat?
Guess they want to go big or go home?
If I was the psychotic NK leader who had an ultimate weapon I would use that first and often.
Russia has a policy of ‘de-escalation’ that involves the limited use of nuclear weapons if they are attacked by large scale conventional ground forces to neutralize that threat. It is official Russian nuclear doctrine.
Obama, on the other hand, has communicated a ‘no first use policy’.
Pre-emptively nuking a small third country would in response to an aggression would also further their message to leave Russia alone and let them do what they want to do in the world? And what would we do? Nothing. More likely are more small scale wars or shooting down aircraft or attacking us through proxies. Again, we would be unlikely to do anything.