Gazeta published an article by retired Brigadier General Mikhail Khodarenok examining Moscow’s ability to wage a war against the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. The Russian newspaper highlighted nuclear readiness and the catastrophic risks of any escalation that could lead to a potential confrontation.
Amid conflicting statements between Russia and European states, the author argues that the positions of some European leaders appear to be pushing toward a dangerous escalation that could result in a devastating conflict.
The article notes that Russian President Vladimir Putin’s stance is clear. He was quoted as saying: “We are not planning to wage war, but if Europe suddenly decides to attack us and initiates it, we are already prepared. And if it starts a war against us, developments may escalate quickly to a point where we no longer find any party to negotiate with.”
European Response
The author mentions that a senior NATO official commented on Putin’s remarks, saying that Russia “lacks the military resources and capabilities necessary to achieve victory in a large-scale conventional conflict against united European powers”.
The NATO official added in a statement to the BBC that Putin is fully aware that the alliance today is more cohesive than ever “regarding the defence of its allies”, stressing that the alliance “will not stand by idly if the territory of any of its members is subjected to aggression”.
However, the author argues that what is understood from Putin’s statement, contrary to the NATO official’s interpretation, is that any Russian action “would be purely defensive in nature” and a direct response to a “potential act of aggression, not an offensive initiative” by Moscow.
He adds that a wide-scale war on the European stage would inevitably evolve into a global conflict characterised by the extensive use of all forms of weaponry, including nuclear arms.
According to Khodarenok, if the conflict were to escalate to a nuclear level, the Russian leadership would be capable of activating the full scope of its strategic deterrence systems, including all types of nuclear weapons in Moscow’s arsenal.
Last Tuesday, Putin launched a fierce attack on Europe, announcing readiness to engage in a war against it, accusing European nations of seeking to sabotage a ceasefire agreement in Ukraine and working to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.
He reiterated: “We do not intend to wage war with Europe; I have said this a hundred times already. But if Europe suddenly wants to wage war with us and initiates it, we are currently prepared. There can be no doubt about this.”
Putin stressed that Europeans should support settlement efforts in Ukraine instead of obstructing them.
Recently, Pyotr Tolstoy, Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma, stated in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera that any negotiations regarding Ukraine must be based on current realities and the understandings reached during the Alaska summit.
He added that the president told former US President Donald Trump during that summit that “neither Ukraine nor Europe is ready for peaceful negotiations”.
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