Am I the only conservative journalist, of sorts concerned about the world sliding into nuclear war? Looking at the output of the movement, I do not see much concern about this, as everyone keeps in their comfort zone, doing what they normally do. But, a nuclear war would have the inconvenient side-effect of blasting everyone out of that cosy, safe space. Consider: deputy prime minister and head of Putin’s presidential administration, Vyacheslav Volodin, someone who would know what Russia is up to has said: ““If Washington and NATO countries supply weapons that will be used to strike civilian cities and attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten, this will lead to retaliatory measures using more powerful weapons,"
In a Telegram message he warned: “Arguments that the nuclear powers have not previously used weapons of mass destruction in local conflicts are untenable. Because these states did not face a situation where there was a threat to the security of their citizens and the territorial integrity of the country."
He added "Deliveries of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime will lead to a global catastrophe.”
For me, this is very disturbing, and a warning to take seriously. Of course, what one is to do if the worst-case scenario happens, is another matter.
“World War III looms larger as a real possibility today, following a threat delivered by one of Vladimir Putin’s closest allies. Following UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson dismissing the threat of nuclear weapons being used, Former deputy prime minister and head of Putin’s presidential administration, Vyacheslav Volodin said: (via GB News)
“If Washington and NATO countries supply weapons that will be used to strike civilian cities and attempt to seize our territories, as they threaten, this will lead to retaliatory measures using more powerful weapons,"
In a Telegram message he continued: “Arguments that the nuclear powers have not previously used weapons of mass destruction in local conflicts are untenable. Because these states did not face a situation where there was a threat to the security of their citizens and the territorial integrity of the country."
He added "Deliveries of offensive weapons to the Kyiv regime will lead to a global catastrophe”.
I don’t know about you, but I am not willing to dismiss this as mere rhetoric, something that we safely can ignore. After all, many US and NATO officials have openly stated that they want regime change in Russia as the goal of the war that is devastating Ukraine. For Putin, this result almost certainly would result in death, or at best trial for war crimes should he survive and be captured. With such a fate in prospect, why wouldn’t Putin be willing to use nuclear weapons?
Yes, Russia did invade Ukraine and has grabbed territory and incorporated it into Russia, and yes we tend to frown on that (although it is the way that the world has worked forever, including the assembling of the territory that the United States consists of today.) But the closer you look at the events that led to the current situation, the cloudier the calculus if the rights and wrongs becomes. The US pretty openly engineered the destruction of a democratically elected pro-Russia government in Kyiv in the 2014 “Maidan Revolution,” and provoked Russia with the threat to bring Ukraine into NATO.
I don’t propose to relitigate the origins of this crisis, only to point out that nuclear Armageddon may not be a price worth paying.
How about supporting a negotiated settlement between Ukraine and Russia?
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/world-stands-brink-ww3-due-west-escalating-medvedev
“Days after he warned NATO of the likelihood of nuclear war if Russia is defeated in Ukraine, former Russian president and current deputy chairman of the security council Dmitry Medvedev on Monday said the world stands on the brink of World War III due to US and Western aggression against Russia.
"The world has come close to the threat of World War III due to impending US aggression against the Russian Federation," Medvedev said in comments first reported by Sky News Arabia. He also emphasized he sees the conflict at a point of no return. "There are no conditions for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine now, either de facto or de jure," Medvedev said.
On the same day, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced something similar, saying the confrontation with NATO can no longer be seen as merely a "hybrid war" or proxy war, but is instead fast approaching a real one. He said this in a joint press conference with his South African counterpart, Naledi Pandor
Lavrov explained that this "almost real" - as he put it according to state media, was something the West "has been preparing for a long time against Russia."
He further charged that Ukraine's leadership has created "presidents of war" and "Russophobic leaders" - particularly in reference to Present Zelensky and before him Petro Poroshenko.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov additionally sounded the alarm in separate Monday remarks, saying that the current rush to supply Western-made tanks to the battlefield will severely escalate the conflict. "The Ukrainian people will pay the burden of this so-called support," he said.
Peskov also highlighted that it's clearly creating tensions and division among allies, noting that if the tank plan proceeds, "All countries that directly or indirectly ship weapons to Ukraine are responsible for this."
Currently, Poland is leading the way on pressuring Germany to authorize sending advanced Leopard tanks to Ukrainian forces. Berlin has so far expressed reluctance, fearing uncontrollable isolation, while seeking to stress Germany doesn't wish to be a party to the conflict.”