NATO must be prepared for nuclear conflict - Pentagon official

NATO must be prepared for a nuclear conflict with Putin's Russia, which could use tactical nuclear weapons to confront the Alliance. Russia could strike when the US is distracted by China's war with Taiwan. Gregory Weaver, a former senior Pentagon official, wrote about this course of events in his article.

He also urged not to count on a "sluggish Russian army" and pointed out that it is too early for NATO to relax, while Russia retains its nuclear potency and invasive ambitions.

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade Ukraine demonstrated both his high appetite for risk and his profound miscalculations in planning the process.

This combination of risk and miscalculation is extremely troubling, especially when combined with Russia's repeated threats of nuclear escalation. NATO leaders must realise that the actions of Russian forces in Ukraine are likely to increase Russia's reliance on nuclear weapons. In a hypothetical future war with NATO, Russia would likely feel the need to use nuclear weapons earlier in the conflict either to achieve victory or to prevent defeat," Weaver pointed out.

He noted that deterring nuclear escalation by Russia may be a more important task than deterring Russian conventional aggression.

The leaders in the number of deployed warheads in January 2023 are: the United States - 1,770 (it was 1,744 in January 2022); Russia - 1,674 (1,588); France - 280 (280); and the United Kingdom - 120 (120).