Invasion of Ukraine revives nuclear warfare nightmare

PARIS: The nightmare of nuclear war, banished from public consciousness for decades, resurfaced after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, underscoring the erosion of Cold War-era global security structures.A military stalemate has raised fears that Russia could use nuclear weapons to achieve a military breakthrough as Moscow hobbles the offensive.military breakthroughAFP 28 December 2022
There are fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is overseeing the formation of the Strategic Deterrent Force, could launch nuclear strikes.

There are fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is overseeing the formation of the Strategic Deterrent Force, could launch nuclear strikes.
PARIS: The nightmare of nuclear war, banished from public consciousness for decades, has been revived by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, highlighting the erosion of the global security structure from the time of the Cold War.With Moscow not on the offensive, the military stalemate has raised fears that Russia may turn to nuclear weapons to achieve a military breakthrough.

Along with the United Kingdom, China, France and the United States, Russia is one of five recognized nuclear-weapon states and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.”This is the first time that a nuclear-weapon state has used its position to wage a conventional war under the guise of nuclear weapons,” said Camille Gran, NATO’s former deputy secretary general.”You can imagine a rogue state doing this, but suddenly it’s one of the two biggest nuclear powers and a member of the UN Security Council.”

To date, the moral and strategic nuclear “taboo” has emerged after the American bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II in 1945.

But the rhetoric has escalated considerably

Russian TV shows have repeatedly discussed nuclear attacks on Western cities such as Paris and New York after the invasion of Ukraine.A former Russian diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned that President Vladimir Putin would “push a button” if he felt Russia’s existence was under threat.

Events this year have raised alarm bells for Europe, which benefited from the so-called Cold War peace dividend and spent decades in a relatively relaxed state in terms of nuclear security.Across the Atlantic, President Joe Biden warned in October that “Armageddon” could happen anywhere in the world.But the framework that prevented world leaders from pushing the button after 1945 fell apart years before Putin ordered the invasion.

In 2002, the United States withdrew from the critical 1972 anti-ballistic missile treaty with the Soviet Union that maintained the balance of nuclear power.Other major agreements fell apart in the years that followed, including the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which Washington withdrew in 2019, accusing Russia of non-compliance.”When it comes to disarmament, everything but New Start is messed up,” Grand said, referring to the Obama-era agreement with Russia to reduce the number of warheads, missiles, bombers and launch vehicles.