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https://theconversation.com/ukraine-recap-fresh-nuclear-threats-from-putin-as-france-talks-of-western-boots-on-the-ground-224800>
"Another day, another bloodcurdling threat from Vladimir Putin. The Russian
president used his annual televised address to warn the west that he was
prepared to defend his country, if necessary, by using nuclear weapons.
“They should eventually realise that we also have weapons that can hit targets
on their territory,” Putin said, clearly referring to plans by some of
Ukraine’s allies to supply medium- and long-rage missiles that could strike
targets within Russia. “Everything that the west comes up with creates the real
threat of a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons, and thus the destruction
of civilisation.”
There has been a discernible sense of urgency about western discussions of
Ukraine over the past fortnight. The loss of the town of Avdiivka, a key
strategic position close to Donetsk, after weeks of heavy fighting and massive
losses on both sides, has set off something of a domino effect in the area.
Russia has used the momentum to push the frontlines several miles to the west
as part of its winter and spring offensive.
In the previous Ukraine recap, we noted that Joe Biden has managed to get his
US$95 billion (£75 billion) aid package through the US Senate. But the package
still has to pass the House of Representatives, whose speaker, Mike Johnson,
has yet to confirm it will even be given a vote. It’s clear from military
reports emerging from Ukraine that the lack of ammunition is rapidly becoming
an existential crisis.
Putin also probably had in mind the statement by the French president, Emmanuel
Macron, at a security conference in Paris on February 26, that while there was
as yet “no consensus” among Kyiv’s western allies about committing troops to
the defence of Ukraine: “Nothing should be excluded. We will do whatever it
takes to ensure that Russia cannot win this war.”
This drew immediate pushback from most of the Nato leaders assembled at the
conference, who raced to distance themselves from Macron’s position. Aside from
anything else, there are major question marks about Nato’s ability to wage war
in Europe against as formidable an adversary as Russia – which has, over the
past two years, transformed into a war economy.
Kenton White, a Nato expert at the University of Reading, believes the
increasingly ominous prospect of a confrontation between Nato and Russia will
require a major rethink on the part of the western alliance. Hitherto, he
writes, it has prepared to wage “come-as-you-are” wars, which would be fought
with existing troops and weapons stocks.
Indeed, it appears such a rethink might already be happening. Nato is engaged
in its largest exercises since the cold war – exercises designed specifically
around the prospect of a war with a major power such as Russia. As Nato’s most
senior military commander, Admiral Rob Bauer of the Royal Netherlands Navy,
said last year: “We need large volumes. The just-in-time, just-enough economy
we built together in 30 years in our liberal economies is fine for a lot of
things – but not the armed forces when there is a war ongoing.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
