Russia will make changes to its doctrine on the use of nuclear weapons in response to what it regards as Western escalation in the war in Ukraine, state media quoted Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying on Sunday.
The existing nuclear doctrine, set out in a decree by President Vladimir Putin in 2020, says Russia may use nuclear weapons in the event of a nuclear attack by an enemy or a conventional attack that threatens the existence of the state.
Some hawks among Russia’s military analysts have urged Putin to lower the threshold for nuclear use in order to “sober up” Russia’s enemies in the West.
I do not share your confidence about that.
Countries with nuclear weapons include China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, and possibly Iran. And while I don’t think any of them want a nuclear war, if a nuclear war breaks out, I can imagine three or four of them siding with Russia.
China might side with Russia simply because they’re sick of the US trying to hem them in militarily through the “island chain” strategy. The US has the entire coast of China surrounded by military bases, which could be used to cut off China’s trade routes, which is an existential threat to China because their economy is so dependent on exports.
North Korea has a historical beef with the US, and Russia helped North Korea survive through a period when the US tried to starve them.
India and Pakistan have a long-running dispute over Kashmir, and if India backs the US, it’s possibly Pakistan will back Russia just to oppose India.
And Russia and Iran have been solid military and economic allies for a while now, working together in recent conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
If their intelligence agencies are worth anything, they would understand that any action unless directly against Russia would be suicide not only for them but also us. Nukes are a losing strategy no matter what.
What is it with you people?!?!
“it’s not fair that the US DARES to talk to other countries anywhere near us!?!?”
This is the exact same excuse putin used for invading Ukraine, because no country is allowed to make their own decisions on who they talk to unless Russia and China get a veto.
We have power they cannot begin to comprehend, they need to learn a lesson from Putin, “Don’t start nothin, won’t be nothin”, because if there’s one thing the US is famous for, it’s ending wars definitively.
I don’t believe that’s what I said.
Nuclear politics trump geopolitics.
https://youtu.be/v4mZPc_kkys