Posted on 06/16/2023 1:02:51 PM PDT by usconservative
Russia has already stationed a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Vladimir Putin says.
Speaking at an economic forum, he said they would only be used if Russia's territory or state was threatened.
The US government says there is no indication the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine.
"We don't see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after Mr Putin's comments.
Belarus is a key Russian ally and served as a launchpad for Mr Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
The tactical nuclear warheads are less powerful than much of the rest of Russia's nuclear arsenal. Mr Putin said the transfer would be finished by the end of the summer.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Biden wants WW3
“Things are not going in a positive direction in this conflict. Use of nukes was an ominous but very remote possibility a year ago, now it’s a realistic potential outcome.”
Nonsense. Putin has issued nuclear threats at everyone opposed to his greedy war of conquest from the very start:
I would not be surprised if China sees Russia’s weakness and sends a few million man army down to take over Russia, and perhaps parts of the Middle East.
They are the only country capable of such a large mobilization, as stated in the Bible.
“I hope you’re not one of those people who think ‘tactical’ nuclear war wouldn’t quickly escalate to mass destruction.”
Yet Russia and its Fellow Travelers (including on FR) have spent the last year pushing the premise that Russia can nuke New York, London, DC, and etc. and that NATO isn’t supposed to respond in kind.
Deterrence would work with Trump because he’s deliberately unpredictable. Not so with the current demented moron in the WH, whose policies you appear to support.
Wish I shared your confidence on that one. Russia has long seen nuclear weapons not as some doomsday weapon like we have, they see them as normal part of their weapons inventory and they see their use as normal use weapon. Furthermore, Recent Russian military doctrine envisions the use of a new range of micro nukes that they have developed for cruise missiles and hypersonic missiles backed by a massive MIRV ballistic missile capability. The Russians have calculated that they can use the very low yield micro nukes on precision stealth cruise missiles and hyper sonic platforms in certain circumstances to offset Western conventional weapons dominance while using the threat of MAD ballistic missile strikes with their strategic nuclear rocket forces, to keep the West from responding in kind. Not wanting to debate the merits of this doctrine - just stating the fact that this how the Russians see the world and that they have structured their forces over the last decade to implement this doctrine.
“Deterrence would work with Trump because he’s deliberately unpredictable.”
You do realize that your comment here is nonsensical, right?
I am sure I am already on a list by now..
What? You’ve never heard of MAD and the ‘madman doctrine’? Go study some history and stop reading the Atlantic before launching dumb Neocomments.
Anyone know their location in Belarus? Our foster daughter and her husband live in eastern Belarus.
“We don’t see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after Mr Putin’s comments.===
Of course not. WHO will show adversary any indications to warn him? Russia always tries to strike without warning. You may see starting missiles but this warning will be 5 minutes away.
I didn't think it was a very remote possibility a year ago and Biden's escalation is a factor. But, I agree, this move is ominous.
You say Trump is unpredictable but then deign to predict how he’d act if Russia attacked the USA? Nonsense.
On one hand, if we directly intervened, the Russians would be in very big trouble. We would have air superiority within days and then we could dismantle Russia’s forces in the country in detail at our leisure.==
How may you know this? You will not until they get into real shooting. All you may know now just peace time calculations like those who told us year ago that Ukraine will win.
After all US military ran away from Taliban in slippers. Who might calculate this in before years? None. Same here.
This war is total miscalculation on both sides. So you may throw away any calculations and assessments of previous years.
Nobody can predict how anyone will react. That's the whole point of deterrence. The more uncertainty, the less likely one of the 'players' will recklessly escalate.
The point is not about who can predicts what his own side will do. The point is to make the enemy think about what your side might do. See, for example, the events of March 1969.
The problem with your logic is that you're trying to rationalize an irrational situation. The very existence of strategic nuclear warheads is a testament to the insane situation that has arisen over the last 78 years.
Can you answer a simple question? Postulate that I'm a liar. Everything I say is a lie. Now explain what it means, if I state "I am lying". Then go study Zeno of Elea. Or the Harry Mudd episode from Star Trek.
Thank you for your reply.
I wonder what us the benefit of having nuclear weapons if they cannot be used for good? It’s been a long time since they were last used in theater and many many terrible conflicts have happened since that year without them helping. If putin is allowed to reap benefits of invading Ukraine because he and anyone else with them can threaten world peace then they have failed to help world peace again. I’m saying perhaps we should rethink what their purpose is and why. A lot of money spent only to prevent global nuclear destruction at the price of letting many smaller things happen short of global nuclear destruction. For all their cost we may not be getting our money’s worth out of their potential usefulness with current doctrine. Thoughts?
“Should the US not waste time in stationing some of its own tactical Nukes in Ukraine as a response?”
Gawd awful stupid idea!
Let’s poke that ole Ruskie bear and kick this up a knotch or two.
Yeah little Davy Crockett Nukes,that would just make them mad.
I hope I live near a ground zero target.
Survivors will pray for Death.
oops - that would be a country we have NO strategic interest in - my bad.
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