Who's For World War III?

"Kyiv is well aware that such a step would mean a guaranteed escalation to World War III."

"The suicidal nature of such a step [NATO welcoming Ukraine into its membership] is understood by NATO members themselves."

Alexander Venediktov, deputy secretary, Russian Security Council

"[In the event of a Russian military use of nuclear weaponry]: We will not go into exactly how we will respond, but of course this will fundamentally change the nature of the conflict."

"It will mean that a very important line has been crossed."

"Even any use of a smaller nuclear weapon will be a very serious thing, fundamentally changing the nature of the war in Ukraine, and of course that would have consequences."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg

Russian President Vladimir Putin addresses a Sept. 30 rally in Moscow's Red Square.  ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images

A rational mind -- which under current circumstances making it clear that it excludes Russian President Vladimir Putin -- would understand that what Russia has embarked on, in a bid to swiftly and relatively without much cost, restore Ukraine to the orbit of the Russian Federation, integrating it geographically, reminiscent of the good old days of the USSR's hegemonic stranglehold on Ukraine -- would understand that a violent intrusion and annexation of its neighbour, and consequent desperate threats of nuclear dimensions is itself suicidal.

Unfortunately, the Kremlin sees the issue through its own dark lens of history, heritage and conquest, illuminating the greatness that is Russia. Ukraine, on the other hand, thinks quite rationally. It sees itself in the talons of a neighbour that plans to expunge its history, tradition and culture. A neighbour that once saw fit to bring down upon Ukraine the spectre of a managed famine that wiped out millions of people through the starvation called the Holodomor.

Moscow does not withhold its bellicose intentions, making it clear that Ukraine has no right to exist as a proudly independent, fully autonomous nation. And despite protests from those Russians most affected by the war; mothers of sons conscripted to the conflict, oligarchs made persona non grata, their assets abroad seized, and Russian Ukrainians along with human-rights personnel --- the greater Russian public is fully supportive of pounding Ukraine into the ground, and absconding with what is left.

Until, that is, more Russian troops die, over the official count of 20,000 dead and countless more wounded. Mr. Putin has called an end to the call-up, stating his goal of an additional 300,000 conscripts for the front lines has been accomplished. That would be the front line that keeps wavering and being shunted back toward the Russian border as the great, fearless, ill-trained Russian army panics under the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian military advance and flees, leaving its weapons behind.

President Volodymyr Zeleskyy announced an emergency bid for fast-tracking membership into NATO immediately his Russian counterpart announced the formal annexation of four Ukrainian provinces accounting for 18 percent of its vast territory. Mr. Putin identifies his misfortune in the campaign-gone-awry to U.S. meddling and, its encouragement of Ukraine to counter the Russian invasion, providing a massive amount of highly technical military equipment for good measure to Ukraine's advantage.

A cornered Vladimir Putin snarls a reminder now and again that he possesses a huge stockpile of nuclear weapons and his nuclear division has been placed on 'alert'. These may be desperate threats, but they are not empty ones. Now that the industrial heartland of Ukraine is purportedly in Russia's possession, any further forays by Ukrainian troops into the four provinces to regain their possession, is to be treated as an 'act of war' to be defended by any measures, including nuclear.

 

Intercontinental ballistic missiles are launched from the Sea of Okhotsk by a Russian nuclear submarine in 2020.   Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

 

Which implies that Russia's 'special military invasion' was no act of war, but Ukraine's response certainly is, in Russia's regard. It is Ukraine's intransigence in prolonging the war by denying Russia's claims of history, heritage and possession, and therefore the deaths accruing from the conflict as well as the destroyed infrastructure is Ukraine's fault, fully and without equivocation. Russia is only doing what is right;  unseating a fascist government to free Ukrainians from servitude to a neo-Nazi regime.

Russia warns it would be justified in the use of nuclear devices, given the West's and NATO's interference in its near abroad and the special invasion of Ukraine. In fact, should the West consider the gift to Ukraine of more powerful missiles that could conceivably wreak damage over the border into Russia, nuclear arms could be pointed directly at NATO-member assets in the region.  Not an idle threat, Putin reiterates.

"We have a [nuclear] doctrine, which is clear."

"The dissuasion is working. But then, the less we talk about it the less we brandish the threat, the more credible we are.:"

"Too many people are talking about it."

French President Emmanuel Macron

France, stated President Macron in a television interview, would not respond with a nuclear strike. 

Ukrainian servicemen fire a mortar at their Russian counterparts on the front line in Donetsk on Oct. 5. Donetsk is one of four Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Moscow, which has said its forces will defend the areas as if they were Russian soil.        ANTOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images