The great tension over whether or not Vladimir Putin will use nuclear weapons or not comes down to two factors. The first is that he has two types of nuclear weapon. When we talk about nuclear weapons we primarily think of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles – strategic nuclear weapons. The UK’s version of this is the… Continue reading The Russian people need to know where the real existential threat is coming from
Tag: Nuclear War
Loose lips … careless talk is costly
There was a campaign during World War II with the theme “Loose lips sink ships.” The point was that unguarded comments might give away intelligence to the enemy enabling U-Boats to target trans-Atlantic crossings. It became a bit of an Anglo-American proverb, a reminder that careless talk is costly. It’s a proverb that Joe Biden… Continue reading Loose lips … careless talk is costly
Has Putin just threatened to nuke us?
The short answer is “no.” In today’s speech, according to reports Vladimir Putin did two things. The first is that he extended the mobilisation and conscription of people into the Russian armed forces. Secondly, he is reported to have said: “Those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds… Continue reading Has Putin just threatened to nuke us?
“Talk softly and carry a big stick” – latest thoughts on the Russian- Ukrainian War
Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine I argued that such a move did not fit with Vladimir Putin’s known and declared ambitions. It was not that I believed such an invasion could never happen, certainly not that I claimed the ability to predict the future. It’s just that Putin’s ambitions were understood to be the… Continue reading “Talk softly and carry a big stick” – latest thoughts on the Russian- Ukrainian War
What if the nuclear missiles were to hit in 20 minutes?
Someone asked this question on Twitter the other day. Fortunately, before everyone panicked, it became clear that the question was intended as hypothetical. But what would you do if the warning message went out that you had twenty minutes before the missiles began to hit? In that context, if you live in an urban area… Continue reading What if the nuclear missiles were to hit in 20 minutes?
Why we don’t want a nuclear conflict
I’m rather concerned at the number of people who seem rather gung-ho at the prospect of military intervention by NATO countries into Ukraine. As I’ve mentioned before, it seems that those who are pushing the prospect seem either to assume that the gamble is worth it because either it would not lead to the use… Continue reading Why we don’t want a nuclear conflict
Should using nuclear weapons be a war crime?
The other day I mentioned that I wanted to talk in more depth about the ethical questions around the use of nuclear weapons. Is there ever an ethical/moral case for their use or are they intrinsically evil? Would the use of nuclear weapons be a war crime? I would suspect that instinctively most of us… Continue reading Should using nuclear weapons be a war crime?
Nuclear War and unaskable questions
One of the big questions concerning the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been whether or not NATO/Western allies should respond by committing to help defend Ukraine beyond supplying weapons and imposing sanctions. Some have suggested that at a minimum, NATO could commit to enforcing a no-fly zone against Russia. Now, one of the primary reasons… Continue reading Nuclear War and unaskable questions
The end of The World is not in Putin’s hands
One of the things people are most afraid of concerning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is the potential for this to be escalated into a conflict between world powers with NATO sucked in and then the possibility of nuclear weapons being unleashed. Over the weekend, Vladimir Putin escalated the language on this. First, he warned that… Continue reading The end of The World is not in Putin’s hands
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