The CIA says they see no signs that Russia is preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
“We, as an intelligence community, currently see no practical evidence that Russia is preparing to use tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine,” CIA chief Bill Burns said on Saturday.
The term “tactical nuclear weapons” is used for atomic bombs in the less powerful part of the spectrum. Some fear that Russia is considering using such weapons to try to reverse the difficult military situation after the invasion of Ukraine.
After trying to advance on a broad front and secure control of the capital Kyiv, Russian forces have suffered heavy losses and have had to focus on a less ambitious advance east and south of the country. However, the offensive is still in full swing.
Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews
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I like and (so far) trust CIA Director Burns, and Putin himself has denied Russia will use nuclear weapons against Ukraine. On the other hand, Russia was denying it would invade Ukraine, and then Volodymyr (Zelensky) made his remark indicating the possibility of Ukraine getting nuclear weapons.
And the Russians invaded the next day.
However, as far as other *international* nuclear threats, the following from the Kremlin appeared on Russia Today, yesterday:
7 May, 2022 06:53
NATO leaders ignoring nuclear war risks – Russia
The US-led military bloc is not taking the threat of nuclear conflict seriously, Moscow’s ambassador to the US complains
7 May, 2022 14:28
US ‘directly’ involved in Ukraine conflict – Moscow
Washington should be on a “list of war criminals” for sharing military data with Kiev, the head of Russia’s Duma has said.
And I ask readers here on Norway Today to carefully consider my own 3May22 Yahoo! News column “Lou Coatney: Russia now left with no choice but nuclear war”
https://www.yahoo.com/news/lou-coatney-russia-now-left-184011930.html
I had submitted this to a local newspaper editor in my childhood Illinois region and was quite shocked a couple days later to find it popped up on Yahoo! News, but that is an indicator that even people in American media are getting worried about the growing prospect of world war.
Another indicator is someone(s?) in our American intelligence community leaking that we are directly involved in the sinking of Russian warships and the killing of Russian generals and soldiers – that we are already directly at war against Russia.
Without a Congressional war authorization, this is incidentally impeachably unConstitutional.
Meanwhile, our environment czar John Kerry was just here in Norway accusing Putin of obstructing progress being made to save the environment, although John was Secretary of State during our assistance to the overthrow of the Ukraine government in 2014 which directly created the crisis and now war in the first place and thus fully shares that blame! (Accuse your mirror, John.)
And First Lady Dr. Jill (Biden) has just visited with Ukraine First Lady Olena Zelenska, bravely in Ukraine on Mother’s Day in the U.S. I hope she urged Olena and her husband to (instead) support giving the Russians the fair security treaty we (still) owe them to stop this unnecessary tragedy if not yet holocaust.
That is, I hope Jill isn’t just allowing herself to be used for more-war propaganda.
Sivillforsvars? I Norge?
Thanks for your link Lou. I read your article and am deeply concerned and agreed with all you have written here+++.
I am living in Norway for my grown kids and quality of life since mid 90s.
Over the years, humor and sarcasm has been my safety valve.
As a pup, I also served in 23rd Engineer Batalion outside Frankfurt from 82 to 83.
One thing for sure, here in Norway, most will sleep well knowing that the great American partner CIA, worlds leading provider of pricy death and destruction, is on top of things and singing bed time lullabies.
Putin and crew are after all such bumbling idiots that they would surely tip their hand, right? 😉 sark
Carry On!
Thanks for responding, JP! 🙂
I was in the 88th Heavy Equipment Maintenance (HEM, truck repair) Company – old German barracks in Hanau am Main east of Frankfurt – shops down in Aschaffenburg/A-burg. 300 men, and USArEur called us the 88th ARMY because we provided them with so many discipline problems. 🙂
We were … laid back … and so for the annual Inspector General inspection we had to completely redo everything, bottom to top!
The other companies tried to maintain standards through the year, and they could never understand how WE could come out on top for the IG! 😎
1968 was when the Red Army overran “the Czech Spring,” and we had nothing to stop them coming farther except the nuclear deterrent – top priority went to Vietnam, of course. (Sp4 E4 me had sent a DF up to Gen. Haig urging that we clerks, cooks, and other REMFs be schooled on individual antitank weapons, since so many found themselves wielding bazookas during the Battle of the Bulge.)
In Ukraine, Russians COMPLETELY miscalculated, plus apparently have hardened Chechyan war veterans as their shock troops and have committed terrible atrocities. What atrocities may have been Ukrainian SBU we shall see, but ….
This is an entirely different kind of war – hybrid and even populist with video game aces able to pilot drones. I cannot imagine the Russians ever wanting to invade anyone for the rest of the *century*, after this. And the Ukrainians have very much shown that they are indeed a separate, sovereign national identity now, but that needs to be certified by Russia (too) in the treaty.
Biden is gloating he’s got Putin in a “quagmire” with this war, but the Ukrainian people are far deeper in it and suffering and dying.
We’ve got to STOP this war, before it … takes off. If you’re a Norwegian citizen now, you might have a heart to heart talk with your preferred Member of Parliament and urge others to do the same. Norwegians are wonderful people, but so PASSIVE.
Free military and naval history boardgames on CoatneyHistory.
Feel free to contact me, if you ever want to get together. Do you know of anyplace over there that sells:
Hershey with Almonds 6-packs?
Root beer?
Nabisco HoneyMaid Graham Crackers?
Thanks for reading my article. I just submitted it to the Galesburg Register-Mail and suddenly it pops up on Yahoo! News?? Could NOT believe it. My sense is that folks in our media … as well as our intelligence community judging by the leaks … are getting really worried too.
I should mention that I’ve found the Russians didn’t invade until 4 or 5 days after Volodymyr’s unwise remark about nukes, but Putin did mention that as a cause in his Victory Day speech yesterday.
Take care, JP! 🙂
… over HERE that sells …
(I’m in Flateby.)
… over HERE …
(I’m in Flateby.)
That’s “here” not “there.”
I’m in Flateby.