“End Nuclear Insanity Before Nuclear Insanity Ends Humanity”
MAR 2, 2024
LLAW’s COMMENTS, Saturday (03/02/2024)
Today’s nuclear news is all about Putin threatening to destroy human civilization, particularly in the West. But to try to do so, in my view, would cause retaliation, and of course Russia would be be demolished as well. Perhaps that is what Putin wants because he does not value human lives individually, and he is an old man who may be personally on the edge of death. Ukraine has to be factored in, but how and why is a mystery. Yet he, as the ‘experts’ seem to believe, may be just expounding on such threats that he has made many times over the years.
In glancing through the articles, I have copied the most brief and to-the-point article that I found. It is from “Business Insider” . . . but you can take your pick from several news sources in the overflow of articles in the “All Things Nuclear” categorized media round-up below . . . ~llaw
Putin is rehashing his nuclear threats — but this time, he may be threatening nuclear catastrophe in an effort to sway American voters
Analysis by Erin Snodgrass
Mar 2, 2024, 2:31 AM PST
- Vladimir Putin made an explicit nuclear threat against the West this week.
- But experts remain skeptical of Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling after three years of similar threats.
- One expert suggested Putin is drumming up fear among American voters to cut US support for Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a new nuclear threat this week, threatening the West over its support for Ukraine in his most explicit intimidation tactic yet.
But a regional expert says Putin’s recent bout of nuclear saber-rattling is less a promise of mutually assured destruction and more an attempt to mobilize the American public against ongoing assistance for Ukraine.
In his annual state-of-the-nation speech on Thursday, Putin alluded to recent comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said earlier this week that he could not rule out NATO troops being sent to Ukraine to help fight Russia. (Though Germany and Poland quickly countered that suggestion.)
Putin warned that Western nations “must realize we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory.”
“All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization. Don’t they get that?” Putin said, according to Reuters.
The Russian president made several similar threats after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Most experts at the time, however, cast doubt on the likelihood that Putin would actually deploy a nuclear weapon, given the perilous global position in which doing so would leave Russia.
Two years later, experts still think the chance of nuclear warfare is low.
“Putin’s shtick is, at least, predictable at this point,” Simon Miles, an assistant professor at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy and a historian of the Soviet Union and US-Soviet relations, told Business Insider. “He’s repeating his same, tired nuclear threats.”
Putin is working to project an image of himself as a stalwart president whose leadership is the only thing protecting Russia from catastrophe with the West, Miles said, especially ahead of the country’s presidential election later this month — a race Putin is all but sure to win.
But there may be more than one election on Putin’s mind as he rails off his nuclear threats.
GAVRIIL GRIGOROV vias Getty Images
Putin may be speaking directly to Americans
“He is aiming these remarks at Western publics and Western civilian political leadership,” said Matthew Schmidt, an associate professor of national security and political science at the University of New Haven who previously taught planning at the US Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies.
“He’s trying to make sure that Ukraine does not get significant aid from the US,” Schmidt added, chalking Putin’s most recent nuclear threats up to an attempt to sway American voters against supporting politicians and policies that would result in further US funding for Ukraine.
Since the war began, the Biden administration has directed nearly $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine, including military and financial support, according to The Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute.
But further funding for Ukraine has been stalled in Congress as House GOP support for US aid wanes. Just this week, Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown but still made no progress on passing a $95 billion package with emergency funds for Ukraine, Israel, and other foreign allies.
“American politicians are already responding to this war in a way that helps Russia,” Schmidt said. “Putin is trying to create the conditions for that to continue happening.”
While military professionals and international relations experts may be rightfully skeptical of Putin’s threats, the average American voter likely doesn’t understand the nuances of nuclear politics, Schmidt said.
When a civilian hears that Putin threatened nuclear warfare as a result of American involvement in Ukraine, that civilian may respond by voicing their opposition to ongoing assistance at the ballot — at least, that’s what Putin is hoping for, Schmidt said.
Putin’s information warfare comes at a critical time for Ukraine, as Russia has racked up a series of military wins in recent weeks. Last week, Zelenskyy pleaded with Western allies for artillery and air defenses, saying Ukraine’s victory depends on continued support.
But Putin may ultimately have the more resonant message when it comes to American voters, Schmidt said.
“It’s far more complicated to explain why Ukraine is important to US voters than it is for Putin to threaten nuclear war,” he told BI.
ABOUT THE FOLLOWING ACCESS TO “LLAW’S ALL THINGS NUCLEAR” RELATED MEDIA:
There are 6 categories, including a bonus non-nuclear category for news about the Yellowstone caldera and other volcanic and caldera activity around the world that play an important role in humanity’s lives, as do ‘all things nuclear’ for you to pick from, usually with up to 3 links in each category about the most important media stories in each category, but sometimes fewer and occasionally even none (especially so with the Yellowstone Caldera). The Categories are listed below in their usual order:
- All Things Nuclear
- Nuclear Power
- Nuclear War
- Nuclear Power Emergencies
- Nuclear War Threats
- Yellowstone Caldera (There are two Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available in tonight’s Post.)
Whenever there is an underlined link to a Category media news story, if you press or click on the link provided, you no longer have to cut and paste to your web browser, since this Post’s link will take you directly to the article in your browser.
A current Digest of major nuclear media headlines with automated links is listed below by nuclear Category (per above). If a category heading does not appear, it means there was no news reported from this category today. There are two Yellowstone Caldera bonus stories available tonight.
(A reminder, just in case: When linked, the access to the media story will be underlined. If there is no link to a media story of interest you can still copy and paste the headline and lead line into your browser to find the article you are seeking. Hopefully this will never happen.)
TODAY’S NUCLEAR WORLD’S NEWS (03/02/2024):
All Things Nuclear
NEW
Putin makes new threat about using nuclear weapons. Hear retired general’s response
CNN
reacts to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning to the West about the risk of nuclear … All Rights Reserved. CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News …
Putin warns of ‘destruction of civilization’. Hear retired general’s response – CNN
CNN
US Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges (Ret.) reacts to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning to the West about the risk of nuclear war if they send …
Kyrgyzstan Seeks Uranium Mining Restart, Russian-Built Nuclear Plant – Radio Free Europe
Radio Free Europe
Kyrgyz officials are eager to end a 2019 ban on uranium mining in order to boost state coffers. They also see Russian-built nuclear facilities as …
Nuclear Power
NEWS
Renewable energy at nuclear waste site near Carlsbad? Here’s how you can comment
Carlsbad Current-Argus
About 9000 acres at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant could be used to generate “clean energy,” as the DOE requested input.
The game is changing in nuclear energy: What to do next? – Yetkin Report
Yetkin Report
There are reports about new tender will be awarded to the Russian Rosatom for the construction of Turkey’s second nuclear power plant in Sinop.
Plant Vogtle unit 4 generates electricity – News4JAX
News4JAX
On Feb. 14 operators started the nuclear reaction inside the reactor, generating nuclear heat to produce steam. Operators will continue to raise …
Nuclear War
NEW
Vladimir Putin says West sending troops to Ukraine could lead to nuclear war – 6ABC
6ABC
Putin said claims that Russia intends to attack Europe are “nonsense” but warned that his country might strike Western countries with nuclear …
Putin warns of ‘destruction of civilization’. Hear retired general’s response – CNN
CNN
US Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges (Ret.) reacts to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning to the West about the risk of nuclear war if they send …
Putin Rehashes Nuclear Threats in an Effort to Sway American Voters – Business Insider
Business Insider
Two years later, experts still think the chance of nuclear warfare is low. “Putin’s shtick is, at least, predictable at this point,” Simon Miles, an …
Nuclear Power Emergencies
NEWS
Update 214 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine – ReliefWeb
ReliefWeb
Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) has been without back-up power for the past ten days, leaving the facility entirely dependent on …
U.S. Emergency Communications Are Vulnerable | The National Interest
The National Interest
These are reportedly designed to disable entire satellite constellations through nuclear–power energy surges and electromagnetic pulses. Russia …
Morgan County officials demonstrate emergency equipment – WAFF
WAFF
Emergency officials …
Nuclear War Threats
NEWS
Putin Rehashes Nuclear Threats in an Effort to Sway American Voters – Business Insider
Business Insider
… nuclear threats. … “It’s far more complicated to explain why Ukraine is important to US voters than it is for Putin to threaten nuclear war,” he told …
Putin warns of ‘destruction of civilization’. Hear retired general’s response – CNN
CNN
US Army Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges (Ret.) reacts to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s warning to the West about the risk of nuclear war if they send …
‘Destruction of civilisation’: Putin took nuclear threat to West to unprecedented level with …
Sky News Australia
… nuclear war if Western troops enter Ukraine, writes Dr. … It was perhaps the most pointed and meaningful nuclear threat Putin has ever made to the …
Yellowstone Caldera
NEWS
Kansas covered in ash? Yellowstone’s aftermath – YouTube
YouTube
… caldera-chronicles?utm_source=2024-mar-1&utm_medium=youtube&utm_campaign=nh-volcanoes-fy24 Yellowstone Volcano site https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes …
First Weekend of March ’24 Kicks Off With USGS Having 5 Volcanoes at “Watch” or “Advisory”
Weatherboy
… Volcano Observatory, the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, and the Northern Mariana Islands Volcano Observatory. Each of those additional volcano …