Does The West Just Watch The Massacre?

[Omegstrat6]

And now the Russians have shelled a nuclear power plant! Hard to see that this was not deliberate.

Incursions into UK airspace as well as territorial waters by Russia have been increasing for years but the more recent violation of Swedish airspace was clearly Putin's response to growing support in both Sweden and Finland for NATO. His actions are resulting in the very things he wants least but the man is a psychopathic narcissist and he petulantly issued veiled threats again about launching a nuclear attack. Whilst Western leaders very obviously do not want that they have also viewed this as reckless, if school-boyish, rhetoric.

But here's the thing. Putin may be mad enough to entertain nuclear warfare but the Kremlin won't because they understand that it benefits absolutely no-one. I also seriously doubt that they would want an escalation that might lead to a non-nuclear NATO v Russia war any more than Western leaders. This is all about brinkmanship and Putin has been enabled to act as he has by the West because they appear weak to him. Yes, the sanctions and aid are hurting him and Russia but their effects will not be quick enough to stop his course of action in Ukraine and the country and its population will suffer further. Time now to stand up to him and call his bluff.

A deterrent-nuclear or otherwise-only works if you are seen to be willing to use it. I do not mean that the West goes in aggressively in a gung-ho manner as this would certainly only escalate things and provoke irrational rage. I simply mean that Putin is informed firmly that there is a line drawn now and if he crosses it then there will be consequences and re-iterate to him that NATO does have the capabilities to hurt him. The ball would be in his court. This is not war-mongering as the West has tried every alternative to try to get him to withdraw, it is simply the next logical step. The emphasis should very much be that this is not an intended attack on Russia itself but solely about getting them to stop the destruction and bloodshed in Ukraine and withdraw and to re-establish Ukraine's sovereignty. No doubt, concessions will have to be made to enable Putin to spin any agreement as a victory, but this needs to end sooner rather than later. Thereafter, whilst the West may want to re-integrate Russia it would be foolish to believe Putin would not later renege on any promises made, but the ideal would be for domestic pressures to force him from power.

Very worrying times, but I honestly think the West needs a change of plan in order to both prevent further destruction and loss of life in Ukraine as well as curb any other ambitions Putin may have.

[Leicesterbaggie]

It is an extremely unhappy situation but it would seem that the Russian murderer is unhinged and therefore capable of launching WW3 if directly attacked by NATO. We would then be in a scenario where, potentially, many millions of people would die in a nuclear conflagration. The least worst option is to closely monitor the current position, isolate Russia in every area possible and hope that unrest in that country will grow to such an extent that he is deposed (and hopefully killed). Wishful thinking? Maybe, but has to be better than risking a nuclear war.

Totally agree with this post. The only way to win this 'war' is for the attack to come from within.