‘Dangerous message’ ex-Navy officer warns of West’s weak response against Putin’s nuke
Former navy officer warns over Putin nuclear threat
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Former Navy officer Seth Cropsey has raised alarm bells around Russia’s President Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats and the West’s response to a potential Russian attack. According to Mr Cropsey, the West’s failure to properly address the nuclear threats sends a “dangerous message” to allies around the world.
Putin’s escalating rhetoric should serve as a wake-up call for the West to get prepared for a potential nuclear attack. But now, he adds, the West’s response is nowhere near where it should be.
Mr Cropsey issued a stark warning on Government Matters: “If Russia goes nuclear, we won’t do it.
“We will only use conventional means and that sends a dangerous message not only to Russia but to the rest of the world, our allies and friends and partners.
Elaborating on NATO’s choices to respond to a Russian nuclear attack at this juncture, he said: “One of them is, do nothing.”
“Which is symptomatic of what we’ve seen so far in response to Putin and the foreign minister Lavrov’s statements of nuclear threats going on special alert for nuclear forces.”
Mr Crospey added: “All of those measures have received kind of a shrug from the West.
“The other response is to use conventional attacks as a way of demonstrating a NATO resolve.
“Conventional attacks could include everything from destroying the remaining two Moskva class cruisers in the Eastern Mediterranean to more economic sanctions to blockading Kaliningrad in the north.”
However, Mr Cropsey warned, the lack of effective retaliation could undermine the West’s nuclear deterrent.
“But each of those (options) sends a very important message and that is; if Russia goes nuclear, we won’t do it”, Mr Crospey added.
When pressed on whether he’s suggesting the West should respond with a nuclear weapon, Seth Cropsey said: “No, I’m not.
“I think that a reasonable response would be to take Russia’s use of nuclear weapons seriously.
“And for example, to re-arm our ships at sea maybe ships with nuclear weapons, or to sink Russian SSBN or a boomer – one of their submarines that carries nuclear tip weapons aboard it, which they would need for their second strike.”
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“Both of those demonstrate resolve and usefulness at a nuclear level without using tactical nuclear weapons”, Mr Cropsey pointed out.
On the chance for a diplomatic resolution of the conflict, Cropsey said: “I think that if Russia persists and if Ukraine remains successful, that we’re heading for a standoff.
“And my concern about that standoff is that the Russians would choose to end it by using nuclear weapons.”
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