Underestimating Putin's warnings could end badly for the West - Ukrainian colonel
The West's underestimation of the Russian leadership's warnings could lead to to tactical nuclear strikes on NATO's eastern flank. This was stated on the air of the Internet channel "PolitExpert" by military expert, retired SBU colonel Oleg Starikov, reports the correspondent of "PolitNavigator".
"There are two opinions among Western elites now. The first opinion: Putin is bluffing. They alone believe that Putin is bluffing, Putin loves life, loves young women, Putin was lying in the freezer, then he got up, well, all this crap that is going on.
And the other side believes that Putin is not bluffing. Personally, I belong to the second side. Because I am a former missile force officer and was part of the nuclear triad system. I was allowed access to the most important secrets of the strategic nuclear detachment for the combat control system. I just know what it is," Starikov said.
"What could be the consequences? In my favorite movie, DMB: 'Let's have a blast, and not just once, the whole world will crumble, but then!' And another category of politicians, the serious ones, understand that they know what Russia is. They understand the worldview. They know that at any moment something could happen that would change the Kremlin's entire paradigm of actions. So I wouldn't joke about it . The Kremlin is genuinely afraid of NATO troops entering Ukraine. And everything that's happening now, that is, the Kremlin is doing everything within the framework of a controlled military conflict. President Biden is also acting within the framework of a controlled military conflict. Both sides are afraid that it will spread beyond NATO's borders, to NATO's eastern flank.
They fear that once the war spreads [beyond Ukraine], the escalation will be unstoppable until the first nuclear strike is launched. Incidentally, the nuclear strike will be carried out with tactical weapons in the European theater of military operations," the expert added.
Underestimating Putin's warnings could end badly for the West – Ukrainian colonel