Posted on 09/21/2022 7:22:41 AM PDT by BradtotheBone
America will retaliate with 'a devastating strike' against Russia's military if Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the United States Army's former European commander has warned.
Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges today said any response by America 'may not be nuclear' but warned that if Putin were to use nukes in Ukraine that the US could look to 'destroy the Black Sea Fleet or destroy Russian bases in Crimea'.
His comments come after the Russian premier sent shockwaves around the world, as he announced the 'partial mobilization' of his reserve military forces to continue his murderous invasion of Ukraine.
And in a chilling warning directed squarely at Western and Nato leaders, desperate despot Putin insisted he would use 'all means' necessary to defend swathes of territory seized or set to be annexed by Kremlin forces before threatening to use nuclear weapons.
'If there is a threat to the territorial integrity of our country, and in protecting our people we will certainly use all means to us - and I'm not bluffing,' he then added during his televised address to the Russian people on Wednesday morning.
Gen Hodges, who commanded the US Army in Europe between 2014 and 2018, stressed the 'possibility' of Putin ordering a nuclear strike on Ukraine was 'very unlikely'.
But he said the use of any strategic weapons of mass destruction would be met with a swift and severe reaction from President Joe Biden.
'He [Putin] knows the US will have to respond if Russia uses a nuclear weapon,' Gen Hodges told MailOnline.
'The US response may not be nuclear...but could very well be a devastating strike that could, for example, destroy the Black Sea Fleet or destroy Russian bases in Crimea.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
FACT!
Ukraine isn’t important. Kicking Russian corruption and influence out of Europe is, though. Ukraine is certainly helping there. President Trump spoke quite clearly about that many times. We should heed his words.
Meanwhile the Neoconistas are having Gorbasms at the thought of a widespread war.
Why don’t we just launch all our missiles and get it over with? No more global tensions, no more worries about recessions and viruses, no more inflation, just blissful annihilation. And we’d punish Putin once and for all!
/sarc
I don’t wish to believe the world has gone insane, but the evidence of my senses argues otherwise.
What, no comments from our commander in chief?
Let’s drop the big one and see what happens.
And those women who yell “Thank you! Thank you!” sounding like panicky daycare-center workers as they frantically usher the media out when Biden starts rambling may not be able to cover up this one.
Nobody is nuking anyone.
“WTF! We have extended our Nuclear Umbrella to Ukraine?
When did we do that? “
Maybe when Russia put a psychopath in charge of their nuclear arsenal who started talking about nuking nations that pose zero threat to them.
That is a given.🤔
Hodges speaks for nobody.
No US President will ever order a direct attack on Russia/USSR absent a direct attack on a US treaty ally.
WILL NOT HAPPEN.
This is an Article I section 8 problem, which has needed resolution since 1965.
He couldn’t nuke a paper bag.
Xero threat? Ukraine has the full backing of Xiden and all our money and equipment.
I can assure you that there is no scenario where a FIRST STRIKE is not going to end up with mutual annihilation.
If the nuclear threat was real AND EFFECTIVE, then there is no logical reason why Putin hasn’t already given Ukriane an utlimatum, quit or get nuked. So why hasn’t Putin done that? Explain.
16 months after Trump leaves and Biden is close to having nuclear war happen.
That pretty much says it all
Before you send in LTC Vindman, better send him to PT for a couple of weeks (or months).
We have no defense treaty with Ukraine!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.