A former NATO leader has warned that Vladimir Putin may resort to using nuclear weapons in Ukraine to coerce Kyiv into capitulating.
Rose Gottemoeller, who served as the alliance’s deputy secretary general from 2016 to 2019, stated that the Russians may “hit back in totally unanticipated ways” after Ukraine humiliated their forces in the north.
As a show of force, Ms. Gottemoeller stated that these strikes may involve the use of nuclear weapons in the Black Sea or against a Ukrainian military base.
“The objective would be to coerce the Ukrainians to succumb out of fear,” she added.
A former NATO leader has warned that Russia could launch nuclear weapons at Ukraine as a show of force in an attempt to coerce Kiev to concede.
Ms. Gottemoeller stated that Russia is unlikely to employ long-range nuclear weapons against the United States, but will attempt to dissuade Ukraine’s western allies from aiding its war effort.
In response to a question on the BBC’s Today Programme on how the West should respond, she stated, ‘I emphasize that if [the Russians] choose this path, we should not respond with nuclear weapons.’
“[We] should employ our other considerable capabilities, whether it’s a cyber reaction or a conventional [weapons] response,” the author writes.
Ukraine has been prepared for a nuclear catastrophe as its fight against Russia gains momentum.
She also emphasized that western military help and training for Ukraine should continue, but that diplomatic channels with the Kremlin must remain open.
When asked what the West should say to the Russian leader, she responded, “We’ve done a fantastic job conveying a clear message to Moscow: No impunity.”
We are aware of your plans; you will not get away with it.
If there is a trend toward weapons of mass destruction, which I have seen no evidence of so far, then we must make it public and tell the Russians, “There is no impunity here.”
Ms. Gottemoeller was speaking after the Ukraine launched an unexpected counterattack east of Kharkiv, which resulted in a Russian city retreat.
In just a few days of action, and in the face of minimal resistance, Ukrainian troops were able to expel Russia from the whole Kharkiv region.
Kyiv’s forces now control crucial supply lines running into the eastern Donbass region and are planning to attack Russian positions there to consolidate their advantage.
A second counterattack towards the city of Kherson is also making momentum, with reports that some Russian soldiers are negotiating their surrender after running out of ammunition.
Following its recent humiliation in the east of Ukraine, Rose Gottemoeller stated that Russia could’retaliate in really unanticipated ways,’ including the use of nuclear weapons.
According to President Zelensky’s advisor, Oleksiy Arestovich, the military has captured so many Russians in recent days that it is running out of space to house them.
Andrey Yusov, spokesman for military intelligence, added that a “substantial” number of Russian officers are among them.
Since the beginning of September, Zelensky stated in a late-night presentation that Ukraine’s soldiers had captured a total of 5,600 square kilometers in the east and south.
This is approximately four times the size of Greater London, and Zelensky has asked Western allies to provide additional weapons to assist cement the victories.
Ukraine and the West must’strengthen collaboration to resist Russian terror,’ he added, calling for air defence systems to protect civilian places that Putin’s commanders have begun to target as’revenge’
The strikes, according to Zelensky, were “a manifestation of the despair of people who invented this conflict.”
He added, ‘This is their response to the Russian defeat in the Kharkiv region. Since they cannot harm our soldiers on the battlefield, Russia is directing its vile strikes against civilian infrastructure.