Fri 15 April 2022:
Russian President Vladimir Putin may use a tactical or low-yield nuclear weapon, according to CIA Director William Burns, especially since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has suffered setbacks. Burns was speaking in front of Georgia Tech University in Atlanta.
“Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks that they’ve faced so far, militarily, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low-yield nuclear weapons,” said Burns.
Burns added that the US has not seen “a lot of practical evidence” of actual deployment of nuclear weapons.
“We’re obviously very concerned. I know President Biden is deeply concerned about avoiding a third world war, about avoiding a threshold in which, you know, nuclear conflict becomes possible,” said Burns.
Russia possesses tactical nuclear weapons. Such nuclear weapons are less powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima during Second World War.
The escalate to de-escalate military doctrine of Russia would involve launching a first strike nuclear weapon of low yield to regain the initiative if things go badly in a conventional conflict with the West.
But under this hypothesis, “NATO would intervene militarily on the ground in Ukraine in the course of this conflict, and that’s not something, as President Biden has made very clear, that’s in the cards.”
Burns has served as US ambassador to Russia. He had strong words for Vladimir Putin.
calling him an “apostle of payback” who over the years “has stood in a combustible combination of grievance and ambition and insecurity.”
“Every day, Putin demonstrates that declining powers can be at least as disruptive as rising ones,” Burns said.
He also said that President Biden is afraid about a European third world war, a concern that has deterred the US from imposing a no-fly zone over Ukraine or adopting a Polish plan to send Soviet-era fighter jets to Ukraine.
On Wednesday, Biden announced new plans to transfer $800 million in extra security aid to Ukraine. In reaction to the invasion, the president has imposed a slew of sanctions on Russia.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:
TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent
FACEBOOK (CLICK HERE)
https://web.facebook.com/ipindependent
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
