Putin unleashing nuclear strike is 'entirely feasible', retired general warns

03 December 2023 , 18:45

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Putin has previously threatened to use nuclear weapons (Image: Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin's use of nuclear weapons is "entirely feasible" as a deterrent and with the alternative defeat, says a retired US Army General.

Kevin Ryan, former Chief of Staff for the US Army's Space and Missile Defence Command, believes it is possible that the Russian leader would use the extreme measure as a strategic manoeuvre against the West.

Since the fighting broke out there has been widespread speculation over whether Russia would employ nuclear weapons and plenty of threats have been made by the leadership. But due to the devastating impact and repercussions it has been hoped that Putin would not resort to it.

"The exploding of a nuclear weapon inside Ukraine may seem like 'overkill' in a war against Ukraine, but in a war against the West, it could be seen as prudent deterrence," reportedly said Mr Ryan. "The bottom line is that the use of a nuclear weapon is entirely feasible, and the negative outcomes could be dismissed if the alternative is defeat."

He went on to explain that the reluctance to use tactical nuclear weapons thus far may be attributed to the effectiveness of Ukraine's counteroffensive. "The only reason we haven't seen tactical nuclear weapons is because Ukraine's counteroffensive hasn't been as successful as hoped," he told the Mail, reported the Daily Express.

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According to Ryan, the strategic calculus for Russia involves weighing the potential consequences of irradiating territory within their occupied lands against the risk of losing the overall war or key territories such as Crimea. "As far as Russia irradiating territory that is inside their occupied lands is concerned, I think Russian leaders would weigh that against losing a war - or against losing Crimea or a large part of their own army," explained Ryan. "That's not a bad trade in those cases for Russia."

Highlighting the historical context of Russia's reliance on tactical nuclear weapons, Ryan pointed out the challenges it has faced in modernising its conventional forces. "Although the West has relied more on conventional weapons since the end of the Cold War, Russia has had to continue to rely on tactical nuclear weapons to be prepared to achieve battlefield goals," he stated. "The bottom line is that Russian military leaders see tactical nuclear weapons as a valid and useful escalation tool. So does Putin."

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Alessandra Scotto di Santolo