A senior member of the Scientific Council under the Russian Security Council, Sergey Karaganov, has published an article on the Kremlin’s Website RIA Novosti. The proposal is that Russia is being left little choice but to launch a pre-emptive nuclear strike upon Europe. Once more the idea is made, something not seemingly understood by the West, that Russia believes that not only is nuclear war winnable, but that contrary to the Mutually Assured Destruction doctrine, Russia’s policy of “escalate to de-escalate,” would involve destroying Europe to teach America a lesson. He argues that America would simply let Europe go to the wall, rather than risking a strike on its cities.
Yet, this game is dangerous, since there is no good reason why America, seeing the strike upon Europe would not expect a hit on it: the classic prisoner’s dilemma. And, before you know it, a full-scale nuclear exchange, and a real bad day for everyone.
