Latest update regarding Ukraine –Russia ongoing war, as Fears in Europe grow over Putin nuke threats.
Experts in the nuclear field are warning that Russia’s President Vladimir Putin’s threats to use a nuclear weapon in Ukraine have placed the world on the brink of nuclear conflict at its highest level since the Cold War. Is nuclear danger the same as it was during the Cold War? The answer is yes,” Alexander Kmentt, director of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs disarmament, arms control, and nonproliferation division stated.”During the Cold War, we had two nuclear interests trying to stop each other. Right now, we have several potential nuclear flashpoints. Russia’s most recent version of those risks is completely out of the question.
Austrian officials offer a unique perspective on Putin’s Russia due to the distinct space the country occupies, whereas U.S. officials have stressed that they have not yet seen Russian movements pointing to a nuclear escalation. Austria is bound by its constitution to maintain its neutrality, although it is a member of the European Union and a signatory to the sanctions imposed on Russia. However, the country has not provided any military assistance to Ukraine. Even though traditionally neutral Finland and Sweden are on the verge of joining NATO, this has, in part, prevented them from doing so. Strategic and economic ties have existed between Moscow and Vienna for a long time. Austria is a major energy transit hub for natural gas that comes from Russia and goes to Europe, especially Italy. Additionally, the nation honors the Soviet Union for its assistance in establishing Austria’s independence following World War II.
After Putin gave the order for his military to invade Ukraine on February 24, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer became the first European leader to meet Putin face-to-face in April. Austria has pushed the boundaries of its neutrality to more firmly join the international community in supporting Ukraine, and the meeting did not, however, bring Putin back. An anonymous Austrian diplomat stated, “We are for Ukraine,” adding that Vienna is prepared to host de-escalation talks, however unlikely they may be. Emil Brix, who represented Austria in Russia from 2015 to 2017, stated that the international community needs to make it abundantly clear that Putin’s deployment of nuclear weapons would be completely unacceptable. Brix, who stated that he had met Putin several times, describes the Russian leader as someone well-informed about matters that are “mainly strategically important to him,” who works hard to justify his every move, but who is “not open to many opinions.”Brix said, “He only understands strength,” adding that Putin’s “rational thinking” may be influenced by international condemnation. The nonproliferation official, Kmentt, stated that the objective is a radical shift from the current paradigm, in which mutually assured destruction was thought to be the best way to prevent the use of nuclear weapons.
Austria has long made nuclear disarmament a major foreign policy priority. This risk is severe, indicating that the paradigm may no longer be viable. Ramzan Kadyrov, the head of Russia’s Chechnya region, has proposed the use of “low-yield nuclear weapons,” which hardline Putin allies are calling for. This suggests that Putin’s threats might not have been made up. Kmentt stated that the debate regarding the potential use of a “tactical” or “low-grade” nuclear weapon is likely to result in an “all-out nuclear war.”He stated, “After this threshold is crossed, nobody knows how you can contain escalation.”In response to a question regarding whether Russia is transferring tactical nuclear weapons to the border of Ukraine, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper stated on Tuesday that she had “nothing to corroborate.”Kmentt credited NATO, Europe, and the United States for working together to strengthen unity, coordinate sanctions against Russia, and mobilize global condemnation of Putin’s actions. Kmentt stated, “We haven’t been as successful as we would have liked on that.” You can also argue that “what the West has been trying to do is break the paradigm.”
Ksenyia Karchenko, a refugee from Ukraine living in Austria, is putting her worries about a nuclear strike by Russia out of her mind. She is documenting the lived experiences of Ukrainians during the war as a researcher with the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. She explained that Ukraine is fighting for its existence to put an end to Putin’s best efforts to destroy the country and his pleas for the world to remain united and not give in to the Russian leader’s threats.
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“This is a huge, bloody history we share with Russia; having this final battle is important for Ukrainians.”She stated, “There is no other option for us but to win.”If we were to assert that the Ukrainian people require weapons, we would need to be perceived as a genuine, democratic, and independent nation.
