The Joe Biden administration has sent several warnings to Russia via backchannels regarding the possible use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, the Washington Post reports. The White House’s messages to Russia have been intentionally nondescript to foster uncertainty in Moscow about what the US would do if Russia deployed its ultimate weapon.
The White House has sent the message several times since the war in Ukraine started, according to the US officials who spoke with the Post. The White House’s communications with the Kremlin have been intentionally vague.
The Biden administration believes these nonspecific threats will deter Russia through "strategic ambiguity." "Strategic ambiguity" is an intentionally unclear policy that causes the enemy not to act out of fear it could cross a red line without knowing it.
For nearly 50 years, the US maintained a policy of "strategic ambiguity" toward Taiwan. By refusing to commit to defending the island, Washington has deterred Taipei from declaring independence. At the same time, suggesting it could defend Taiwan has deterred China from acting more aggressively against the island.
However, Biden has taken steps towards abandoning "strategic ambiguity" towards Taiwan. Since taking office, Biden has said he would go to war for Taipei four times.
President Vladimir Putin warned on Monday that he could order a nuclear strike to defend Russian territory. Putin’s threat was Moscow’s most direct warning it could deploy nukes. "If the territorial integrity of our country is threatened, we will without doubt use all available means to protect Russia and our people – this is not a bluff," Putin said.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev appeared to expand this nuclear umbrella to Ukrainian territories Moscow plans to annex. The Kremlin planned a series of referendums in areas of Ukraine under its control. If the vote goes as expected, those regions will request entrance into Russia, which Moscow will accept.
The Post says it is unclear if the White House reissued the threat after Putin’s statement this week. In January, Moscow and Washington reaffirmed the statement, "nuclear war can never be won, and must never be fought."
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
Votes under military occupation. Mass graves and torture. Potential first-use of nuclear weapons. Escalation and mass conscription. Deserters fleeing the country. Are we talking Russian atrocities, or merely normal American practice? Putin could have learned his ethics and statecraft at the State Dept instead of the KGB.
Right, classic projection, become a reflex with Washington.
What if the Soviet Union had decided not to confront the German army in WWII, lose 25 million people, instead, reached an agreement to supply Germany with the fuel needed to turn up the wick against the Allies then divide the spoils?
That’s an easy one to answer: The Soviet Union did in fact agree to ally with, rather than confront, Germany in World War Two, and divide Poland between themselves, and did so until Germany broke the agreement and attacked them.
That’s an inconvenient fact that many of the pro-Russia folks prefer to forget.
The more interesting “what if” question is “what if Hitler had chosen to form an economic and military block with the Soviet Union”? For that to come about it was not necessary to invade and divide Poland, which, squeezed between two powerful states, might have joined the block voluntarily. And Chamberlain might have been become a British hero.
The really intriguing part of that “what if” is Japan-China. It would then have been in the interest of Germany and the Soviet Union that Japan be kicked out of China but join the block.
Our nation might have remained neutral and Lindbergh might have continued a national hero.
That scenario would have completely upended FDR’s view of “spheres of influence”. And Britain’s too.
Lastly, under that scenario would some state have developed a nuclear weapon?
The evidence is that Stalin intended to attack Germany at a later date. Hitler beat him to the punch. Such is the brotherhood of psychopaths and war criminals.
I don’t think “Strategic Ambiguity” is going to fool anybody. I also think it’s more likely to lead to conflict than by being plain spoken as Putin has done.
The US wants escalation, clearly.
The US wants “escalation dominance” and to be the last one to escalate.
Of course, Russia will use nukes if Russia faces an existential threat to its state, which implies either a nuclear attack on Russia or a Russian conventional war defeat (good luck with that). Once these new regions are part of Russia, they’re part of Russia. Simple.
Also note, however, that Putin said nothing about using nukes if Ukraine continues attacking the new regions after they join the Russian Federation. Russia has more than enough capability to deal with Ukraine, as the partial mobilization demonstrates. Unless the US or NATO gives Ukraine nukes or uses them against Russia, Russia will not use nukes ever during this war.
So all this panic is ridiculous. Nothing has changed in the Russian nuclear weapons doctrine.
Repeatedly Zelensky threatened to get nuclear weapons, kind of stupid, but he hates Ukraine, he is throwing his nation under the bus and live happily ever after.
It’s time to put forward the proposal that Zelansky should be put on trial for crimes against humanity.
Biden confuses himself to fool Putin.
ha!
Hilarious!
At least Putin and Russia are man enough to say what they will do, while the WEST hides behind ” ambiguity” to appease the Ukrainians so they will continue to fight a war they cannot win
Russia could take out the Ukraine capital and a couple of major cities – like the Americans did in Japan in WW2.
It would then be up to Big mouth Biden to nuke Russia and have America nuked in turn.
That’s exactly what you will say about your loving emperor Putin when he launches the first Nuke.
“Oh, at least he is man enough to kill thousands of innocent people”
You’re describing Harry Truman.
And? Is it more excusable now than it was 80 years ago?
Tempest in a teapot. When we have credible evidence that someone on either side is planning to launch a Nuke, I’ll get back to you.
You’re really into that “manly man” Putin, aren’t you?
No, but you are buying the BS from Biden, no matter what he says, no matter how absurd.
Nonsense, buts clearly nonsense is all you have.
I suspect the nuke strikes would be along the border with NATO, to isolate the rump state that Putin intends to leave to avoid the problems of governing it, and to ensure the damage is to the border regions most hostile to Russia. Of course, he’d leave a proxy government, but he would not blow up the traditional Old Russia center that he needs for that proxy to function for him.
“I suspect the nuke strikes would be along the border with NATO”
That may be where they start, but it won’t be where they end, fool.
Fool eh?
You suggest those strikes would be the first but not the last. So what, you think we would trade DC and NYC for some defense of Ukraine? Not when things get real.
But if we did, I’d be glad to see The Blob die.
“But if we did, I’d be glad to see The Blob die.”
That says all there is to say about your foolish POV.
If we must have a nuclear war, at least kill everyone who was responsible for it. That is not foolish. Unless I suppose, if you are one of them, you think you can kill by the hundreds of millions and then enjoy your win. Dr. Strangelove was a fool, and we laughed.
I’ve edited my own list and I have added people who annoy me…
“If we must have a nuclear war, at least kill everyone who was responsible for it. ”
That’s very wishful thinking and very delusional as well.
Good time to start over Mark!
Either you are a Strategic Nuclear Response expert or great at making shit up.
Im going with the latter.
Negotiated settlement and allowing ethnic Ukrainians to live as demilitarized Austria is/was always an option. Antiwar Radio’s interview of Rodger Waters has it right about Julian Assange, and media conveying the message of the owners. This damn thing happened by the overflight* of Turkish bought drones against the Minsk II agreement. Don’t preach about Russian violation of free speech while Assange is a prisioner.
*line of control separating forces in Donetsk region/oblast.
Yes, but Biden cannot do that, because when he had the chance he instigated this war instead. To reverse course and stop his war would be to admit what he did wrong and to accept defeat. He won’t. Never. Of course it is true, but he would never accept that.
He forcefully supported the Iraq invasion. Not once did he voice any regret. He is a very bellicose man, the most dangerous man on the planet because the USA is a nuclear power. He and the war criminals around him underestimated Russia, Putin does not turn the other cheek, he is no Yeltsin or Navalny.
“The White House’s messages to Russia have been intentionally nondescript to foster uncertainty”
Pretty sure I saw, somewhere or other, US Operation Mysterious Note used letters cut from newspaper headlines and read:
“I wud not do nuclulr boms if I wuz you, chum. Or else … kaboom? Signed, A Friend”
It’s a good day to die.
Healthy cynicism?…
“Strategic Ambiguity” plays exactly like it sounds… Though Bye-Done is being a bit more definitive lately… This situation can easily get out of hand…
One mistake that we all probably make is assuming that public statements — by Biden, by Putin, by any politician — actually represent a regime’s entire policy position.
And we tend to do this even when it’s acknowledged that there are “backchannel” discussions going on, or that one arm of a regime is putting out an opposite message.
That tends to fill up holes of non-knowledge with useless fake knowledge.
For example, because Blinken and Lavrov have only mentioned one discussion since February 24, we tend to assume that Blinken and Lavrov (or assigned underlings with specific instructions) have only talked once since February 24.
For all we know, Biden and Putin have been conferring constantly — through proxies or even directly — on how to help Putin get his tit out of the wringer he stuck it into with the minimum necessary embarrassment and without being deposed.
Biden wants the humiliation and absolute destruction of Russia. Or at least his masters do.
I keep swatting Joe Hill and my ass is getting sore…
Actually, that is exactly what Blinken said. He did not, and has not had anyone else do it. He is proud called their bluff, but it was not a bluff.
He admits this. To simply believe we don’t know he is really that stupid is arguing against the best evidence – his own admission.
“Actually, that is exactly what Blinken said.”
So you believe that Blinken is scrupulously honest?
More nonsense. Putin is quite popular in Russia. Notice that the Russian economy is doing rather well. There aren’t going to be any cold homes or empty shelves in Russian stores. The regime changes the Western countries long for in Russia are indeed going to happen: IN THE COLD AND HUNGRY AND BROKE EU. Not Russia.
The Western narrative is that if Putin were not in charge, then Russia would again be as supine as that country was after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Then the EU would get to loot the carcass of Russia and enslave it’s population. This would, in their fantasy, would put off the collapse of the EU.
The truth is if Putin were no longer in the picture, he would be replaced by much more aggressive leadership. If Russia was broken up, the successor states would end up with nuclear weapons. Almost 100% chance those weapons would end up in the hands of those that would be likely to use them.
“The truth is if Putin were no longer in the picture, he would be replaced by much more aggressive leadership.”
Bingo.
Which is why the US is probably working the back channels to help him both get his tit out of the Ukraine wringer and remain in power, which would be no small feat.
Right. The US is now helping Putin. Or could it be that the DC Psychos have miscalculated have have their collective tits in said wringer?
Given the sanctions failures that have the EU in dire straights and the massive troop losses of Ukraine? I’m going with Western tits being the ones at risk.
They’re all at risk, in a big way. But aside from the risk of nuclear escalation, the risks are different.
The western risk is mostly economic, and it’s probably not something that can be mitigated in the short term. It’s a shit sandwich the west built and the west is going to have to eat.
The conventional military risk seems to actually be minimal on both sides. That is, the Russian army isn’t going to be marching into Warsaw, nor is the Polish army going to be marching into Moscow.
The personal risks escalate as one moves east.
When western politicians fuck up, they get to retire and charge large fees for giving speeches.
Zelenskyy does stand a non-trivial chance of being assassinated by his own Nazis or by Russian operatives, but he’s probably in pretty good shape to retire in comfort to Florida after the military engagement ends if he can survive until then.
Putin is in the worst personal position. The longer it takes for him to find a way to declare “victory,” GTFO of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, and establish a line of control that he can hold and that a ceasefire can be based on, the more likely he is to fall out of a window, suffer mechanical difficulties with his limousine that leave it in flaming pieces, have a sudden unpredicted stroke, etc. And he would almost certainly be replaced by one of the hardliners who pushed him into this fiasco in the first place, which neither the west, nor China and India, want to see.
The Chinese and Indian regimes are doing their part to help him publicly, calling for a ceasefire in a way that he can cite as “friendly” pressure to wrap the debacle up if he can get anything resembling a gain out of it to save his own hide. I suppose it’s possible that the only thing devout Catholic Joe Biden is doing on that front is fervently praying for Putin’s continued good health, but that would be surprising.
They’re all at risk, in a big way. But aside from the risk of nuclear escalation, the risks are different.
The western risk is mostly economic, and it’s probably not something that can be mitigated in the short term. It’s a shit sandwich the west built and the west is going to have to eat.
The conventional military risk seems to actually be minimal on both sides. That is, the Russian army isn’t going to be marching into Warsaw, nor is the Polish army going to be marching into Moscow.
The personal risks escalate as one moves east.
When western politicians fuck up, they get to retire and charge large fees for giving speeches.
Zelenskyy does stand a non-trivial chance of being assassinated by his own Nazis or by Russian operatives, but he’s probably in pretty good shape to retire in comfort to Florida after the military engagement ends if he can survive until then.
Putin is in the worst personal position. The longer it takes for him to find a way to declare “victory,” GTFO of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, and establish a line of control that he can hold and that a ceasefire can be based on, the more likely he is to fall out of a window, suffer mechanical difficulties with his limousine that leave it in flaming pieces, have a sudden unpredicted stroke, etc. And he would almost certainly be replaced by one of the hardliners who pushed him into this fiasco in the first place, which neither the west, nor China and India, want to see.
The Chinese and Indian regimes are doing their part to help him publicly, calling for a ceasefire in a way that he can cite as “friendly” pressure to wrap the debacle up if he can get anything resembling a gain out of it to save his own hide. I suppose it’s possible that the only thing devout Catholic Joe Biden is doing on that front is fervently praying for Putin’s continued good health, but that would be surprising.
Or this represents a sea change event in the world order. You are making assumptions that the USA and the Western puppet states are on firm ground. They aren’t. The USA and Western nations has placed their bets on financial control of the world. That control is designed around fiat currencies. Russia and China economics are base d on real things. If China had been truly free market, the game would have already been up. But China is not free market, so it’s taken longer.
The USA and Europe are consumer economies. They can’t even heat their homes or feed their people. They don’t make their own goods and have little to trade. Threats and wars are all they have left.
They’re all at risk, in a big way. But aside from the risk of nuclear escalation, the risks are different.
The western risk is mostly economic, and it’s probably not something that can be mitigated in the short term. It’s a shit sandwich the west built and the west is going to have to eat.
The conventional military risk seems to actually be minimal on both sides. That is, the Russian army isn’t going to be marching into Warsaw, nor is the Polish army going to be marching into Moscow.
The personal risks escalate as one moves east.
When western politicians fuck up, they get to retire and charge large fees for giving speeches.
Zelenskyy does stand a non-trivial chance of being assassinated by his own Nazis or by Russian operatives, but he’s probably in pretty good shape to retire in comfort to Florida after the military engagement ends if he can survive until then.
Putin is in the worst personal position. The longer it takes for him to find a way to declare “victory,” GTFO of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, and establish a line of control that he can hold and that a ceasefire can be based on, the more likely he is to fall out of a window, suffer mechanical difficulties with his limousine that leave it in flaming pieces, have a sudden unpredicted stroke, etc. And he would almost certainly be replaced by one of the hardliners who pushed him into this fiasco in the first place, which neither the west, nor China and India, want to see.
The Chinese and Indian regimes are doing their part to help him publicly, calling for a ceasefire in a way that he can cite as “friendly” pressure to wrap the debacle up if he can get anything resembling a gain out of it to save his own hide. I suppose it’s possible that the only thing devout Catholic Joe Biden is doing on that front is fervently praying for Putin’s continued good health, but that would be surprising.
Dear Joe Hill:
You can disagree with me, from here to eternity and welcome but… Could you define your reasons and keep the conversation interesting?…
Biden is the most dangerous man on earth.
America never anticipated the media megphone telegramming the destruction it caused of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Neither it thought that survivors would live to tell the tale.
Like its other brazen anti human activities of galactic scale,it thought it would be able to manage,obfuscate,ignore,dismiss,deny and then do it again like it does with chemical and bilogical agents and accuse other of doing it.
depleted uranium munitions are also considered nuclear weapons.
unless it was uncle sam using them in afganistan & iraq.
I’ve been told that depleted uranium has been fired from ships to US soil.
probably by uncle sam
Yep, that’s what I was told by a sailor.
Hahahah! ”
Multiple Threats”!!! Oh noes!!!
America never anticipated the media megphone telegramming the destruction it caused of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Neither it thought that survivors would live to tell the tale.
Like its other brazen anti human activities of galactic scale,it thought it would be able to manage,obfuscate,ignore,dismiss,deny and then do it again like it does with chemical and bilogical agents and accuse other of doing it.
Strategic ambiguity is a new chess move Iranians reluctantly added to update the pre tv game of chess they invented so long ago.
Iranians are smart, they recognized that when one backs the opponent’s king into a corner, saying “check mate” might cause an unbalanced opponent to knock the game board clean off the table.
Today, in modern times, when one backs a loser opponent into a no-win corner, the winner’s statement is “strategic ambiguity.” This move helps losers avoid tantrums that may cause unintended harm.
“Shah meh”.
The king is dead.
So are the Europeans going to allow the yanks to use nukes on European soil ? , as every one forgot how the fall out from CHERNOBYL covered not only Europe but Britain ad well , time the Europeans started talking to Russians before the yanks go totally insane and kill us all.
Creepy Joe Biden and ilk are desperate.