October 12, 2022 | Politico
If Putin Uses Nukes in Ukraine, the U.S. Must Respond with Military Force
Russia simply cannot be allowed to unleash nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
October 12, 2022 | Politico
If Putin Uses Nukes in Ukraine, the U.S. Must Respond with Military Force
Russia simply cannot be allowed to unleash nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
Excerpt
In the 21st century, it is still madness to believe there can be an acceptable use of nuclear weapons. During the Cold War, it was clear that the consequence of a nuclear attack would be mutual annihilation. That has not changed.
Vladimir Putin, increasingly cornered and isolated, continues to threaten the use of so-called battlefield nuclear weapons to try and gain a military advantage on the ground in Ukraine. Some intelligence analysts now believe that the probability of the use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine has risen from 1-5 percent at the start of the war to 20-25 percent today.
As secretary of defense, I heard the arguments that the use of such weapons could be limited and targeted in a way that would not result in a nuclear war. The problem with that kind of rationale is that retaliation knows no limits. Any attack will demand a firm response. And any firm response will risk the danger of escalation. It is precisely because the use of any nuclear weapon is so unthinkable that Putin cannot be allowed to continue his threats without understanding the full consequences to him and his regime. He says he is “not bluffing.” We cannot afford to “bluff” either.