YouTube link here.
By Hugh Cameron, Newsweek, 6/21/24
Vladimir Putin has announced that Russia will ramp up its nuclear arsenal, the latest of several such warnings his administration has issued since the beginning of the war with Ukraine.
The Russian president met with graduates of the country’s military universities in the Kremlin on Thursday. His address to the students covered matters relating to the country’s military capabilities, potential cooperation with NATO, and was characteristic of the angle Russia has taken toward the West for the past two years.
The news was first reported by Ria Novosti, a Russian state-owned news agency.
Putin’s speech began by congratulating the attendees on completing their studies, who Defense Minister Andrey Belousov hailed as ready to “serve the fatherland faithfully and truly.”
The Russian president also used the opportunity to make a statement on Russian national security. Standing before the lectern, Putin said: “We plan to further develop the nuclear triad as a guarantee of strategic deterrence and maintaining the balance of power in the world.”
A nuclear triad refers to a three-part military capability consisting of intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistics missiles, and bomber aircraft capable of carrying nuclear bombs and missiles.
Russia is one of four nations confirmed to be in possession of a nuclear triad, alongside the U.S., China, and India. Israel is generally thought to be in possession of a triad, though its taciturn nuclear program makes this hard for experts to verify.
In May, the U.S. announced an upgrade to its own nuclear triad, with the Air Force releasing photos of the B-21 stealth bomber undergoing test flights.
There’s little doubt that the US would launch the first strike and declare that they had intelligence that Russia was ready to strike. That’s just how they do it.
“The US announced an upgrade to its nuclear triad in May” Really?
That upgrade was announced ny Obama in the last year of his presidency. The cost then was almost a trillion dollars. Under Trump and Biden it has risen to an estimated 1.7 trllion.
How soon inconvenient and horrific facts are Memory Holed!
Yes, I do remember that being announced/started under Obama. Perhaps this is a further or additional upgrade? Gotta keep the military industrial complex in obscene profits.
With everything nuclear I would suggest caution with verdicts and suggestions concerning either side. (Putin tries his best to sustain a responsible posture under the current constraints of broken down communication with the US.)
I am waiting for a new entry by Dmitry Stefanovich at https://1dkv.substack.com/ addressing the pressing issues.
Also see him here:
https://nitter.poast.org/KomissarWhipla
So far. e.g. neither did Poland get nukes. Nor did RU change anything with the status of their own nukes out of the ordinary.
One has to look at what is happening on the ground.
Whilst public atmosphere is easily heated by pundits on all sides the military personnel is not in the focus of attention and very weighed and cautious with any of this. They after all know what the dangers mean.
Not coincidentally was it US army officials who were quoted in NEWSWEEK, WaPo and NYT late in 2022, stressing how restrained RU conduct in Ukr was. In fact a Brit had stated. “We would have done it differently”. Which means Iraq style carpet bombing. Nothing a reporter would have said. Or a WH staff member.
So we should try and find those voices who are responsible for handling the WMD-apparatus. Or know about it.
Which doesn´t mean to say that we are not taking insane risks; and actually people need to go out into the streets. I am waiting for parties and NGOs to call for this.
In 1957 1,2 mio. Germans went to protest against WWIII.
So such a view as this is of course highly relevant:
Valdai Club
Will NATO Attack Russia?
19.06.2024/
Igor Istomin (RU MoFA)
https://archive.is/P5rIc
p.s. Natylie, keeping up this flow of news is important, thank you.
I wish our leaders believed in the concept of Détente.