I wonder why this hasn't made a bigger splash? After 20 years or so of not having to worry that someone will make a stupid mistake, either here or in Russia and melt us all in milliseconds in a nuclear firestorm.
Now, if this news account is accurate, those old cold war fears are beginning to return, not a pleasant thought.
Russia leaves door open for pre-emptive nukes - USATODAY.com:
Russia's military chief of staff said Saturday that Moscow could use nuclear weapons in preventive strikes in case of a major threat, the latest aggressive remarks from increasingly assertive Russian authorities.Sphere: Related Content"We have no plans to attack anyone, but we consider it necessary for all our partners in the world community to clearly understand ... that to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Russia and its allies, military forces will be used, including preventively, including with the use of nuclear weapons," Gen. Yuri Baluyevsky said.
The comments from the hawkish Baluyevsky did not appear to mark a policy shift for Russia, whose leaders have stressed the need to maintain a powerful nuclear deterrent and reserved the right to carry out preventive strikes to counter existential threats. But in most of their public remarks about preventive strikes, President Vladimir Putin and other officials have not specifically mentioned the use of nuclear weapons.
Baluyevsky made his remarks at a time of increasingly strained relations between Moscow and the West, which are at odds over a range of issues. They are embroiled in persistent disputes over U.S. plans for missile defense facilities in former Soviet satellite states that have joined NATO, as well as alliance members' refusal to ratify an updated European conventional arms treaty.
Like most saber-rattling by Putin and other Russian officials, the chief of staff's remarks appeared aimed at least in part at the United States, which Moscow accuses of endangering global security through aggressive actions such as the invasion of Iraq.
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