New Delhi: The chilling threat of a nuclear war seems closer than ever. On Tuesday, President Vladimir Putin lowered the threshold when Russia could use nuclear weapons. This came even as Ukraine fired six long-range American missiles at targets inside Russia. Nato countries, feeling the chill, issued pamphlets to their citizens, advising them on how to prepare for a war.
In the pamphlets, Sweden warned its residents to “shelter” amid fears of nuclear war breaking out, according to The Mirror of the UK. The pamphlet, issued just five times since World War II, has been sent to every Swedish household.
Norway also issued emergency pamphlets advising people to manage for a week in case of an emergency, including an all-out war.
In a dangerous escalation to the Ukraine-Russia war, Ukrainian forces late on Tuesday fired six US-made long-range missiles at Russia’s Bryansk region, the Russian Defence Ministry said. This will be seen as a major provocation by Moscow, and a forceful retaliation is likely.
Many Nato countries are asking their citizens to be prepared for a war.
Denmark has already sent emails to its citizens to stock up on dry rations, water and medicines so that they could manage for three days of emergency, including a nuclear attack.
Finland, too, updated its online brochure on “preparing for incidents and crises” amid the escalating Russia-Ukraine war.
While Finland joined the US-led Nato military grouping last year, Sweden joined in March this year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The panic amongst the Nato countries comes after US President Joe Biden allowed Ukraine to use long-range missiles that have a powerful blast impact to attack targets deep inside Russia.
The US-made missiles are known as Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) and have a range of over 300km.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has made clear his intentions of using those missiles against Russia.
“Today, much is being said in the media about us receiving permission for the relevant actions. But strikes are not made with words. Such things are not announced. The missiles will speak for themselves,” Zelenskyy said.
It was in response to this that Putin lowered the threshold for Russia to use nuclear weapons on the 1,000th Day of the Russia-Ukraine War.
He signed a revised nuclear doctrine declaring that a conventional attack on Russia by any nation that is supported by a nuclear power would be considered a joint attack on his country, according to an Associated Press report.
Simply put, it means Russia would consider using nuclear weapons against a non-nuclear state if it is supported by nuclear powers.
Russia is a nuclear power, having one of the largest nuclear warheads in the world, while Ukraine gave up its entire nuclear stockpile. Ukraine agreed to give up its nuclear arsenal, then the world’s third largest and inherited from the Soviet Union, in 1994. But Ukraine is backed by several nuclear powers, including the US.
US President-elect Donald Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr, claimed on Monday that Biden was trying to start World War III before his father took over.
“The Military Industrial Complex seems to want to make sure they get World War 3 going before my father has a chance to create peace and save lives. Gotta lock in those $Trillions. Life be damned!!! Imbeciles!” he wrote on X.
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