‘Desperate’ Vladimir Putin may use tactical nuclear weapons, warns CIA chief

The Times, April 16

Russia’s setbacks could prompt President Putin to use tactical nuclear weapons, William Burns, the CIA director, has said. Moscow has a stockpile of about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons, also known as low-yield or battlefield munitions, that can be deployed by air, sea or artillery. These are generally less potent than the bomb the US dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 and the more powerful strategic weapons would not be used on a contested battlefield.

“Given the potential desperation of President Putin and the Russian leadership, given the setbacks that they’ve faced so far, militarily, none of us can take lightly the threat posed by a potential resort to tactical nuclear weapons or low-yield nuclear weapons,”

Burns, 66, said during a speech at Georgia Tech university in Atlanta.

“I know President Biden is deeply concerned about avoiding a Third World War, about avoiding a threshold in which, you know, nuclear conflict becomes possible,”

said Burns, who was the ambassador to Moscow between 2005 and 2008.

Comment

Albert Einstein once said that he did not know what weapons would be used in World War 3, but World War 4 would be fought with sticks and stones. We don’t know what weapons will be used but there is a high possibility that nuclear weapons could be used.

When pushed into a corner and with nothing to lose a leader like Putin could push the button. Russian state TV said a few weeks ago

“Why do we need a world if Russia is not in it?”

They would countenance destroying the earth if Russia could not exist.

Jesus said “no flesh” (no creature) would survive if God did not intervene in sending Jesus…

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. (Matthew 24:21-22)

Andy Walton

Weekly World Watch

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Additional reading

Pledges to send more military assistance to Ukraine and Russian warnings