Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, recently implied that his nation might use nuclear weapons to prevent the Western world from interfering with its military campaign in Ukraine. Despite his assurances to the contrary, NATO members have remained steadfast in their refusal to engage in military conflict in Ukraine. While this threat appears to be empty, some analysts suggest that it may have more meaning than most people realize. James Cameron, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Oslo and member of the Oslo Nuclear Project, explains why.
In the past, Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly threatened to use nuclear weapons in response to perceived aggression by the West. He has done this by repeatedly mentioning his country’s humiliation after the fall of the Soviet Union. But his recent comments may have a different meaning altogether. While the Russian leader is not explicitly saying that his country will actually use nuclear weapons, he wants to leave the door open for the possibility of a military strike.
The Russian President is clearly attempting to prove that Russia is a strong nation by using nuclear weapons. In the past, he has talked about his nation’s humiliation after the collapse of the Soviet Union. “The Soviet Union waved the nuclear sword and that earned respect in Putin’s mind,” said Michael O’Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and expert in U.S. defence policy.
The Pentagon is deeply concerned about the possibility of nuclear war in Europe. The Russian president has been apprehensive of using his arsenal in Europe. For years, Washington has tried to persuade Moscow to limit its tactical nuclear weapons, which can be used in a regional war. This is because Russia has a significant numerical advantage in tactical nuclear weapons. It is also unlikely that the Russian President would use them in a conflict that is so far removed from its borders.
The US, United Kingdom, France and the UK all have nuclear weapons. The former has more than 5,000 nuclear warheads. In addition to that, Russia has more than six hundred strategic nuclear warheads. The US has three thousand and one hundred strategic nuclear warheads. The UK has about 500. Those are very high numbers. This is a troubling development and needs to be addressed immediately. The threats from both countries are clearly meant to create an environment of mutual aversion.
There is a “real risk” of nuclear war between Russia and the West. But the US will not allow this because it does not have the capability to strike Russia. It is the best strategy to stop Putin from using his nuclear arsenal. While it may be impossible to predict what will happen in the future, the US will not let Putin use it. It’s a good thing to be prepared for war in the meantime.