Russia-US: all set for new nuclear weapons tests?
After a pause of more than 30 years, nuclear weapons tests are once again under discussion in Washington and Moscow: Donald Trump has announced that the US will resume testing of nuclear weapons following claims from Russia that it had successfully tested two new nuclear-powered missile systems. Whether Trump was referring to nuclear warheads remains unclear. Putin responded by announcing that Russia would also examine its options for nuclear weapons tests.
The only area where the Kremlin can shine
Putin will be delighted with Trump's reaction to his nuclear sabre-rattling, explains journalist Dmitri Kolesev in a Telegram post republished by Echo:
“I think that such a nuclear confrontation (not a war) is acceptable to Putin, because in terms of the size and quality of its nuclear arsenal Russia is either on a par with the US or ahead of it. We can't compete in any other areas, but in this area we can. And it is precisely in this sector that Trump is proposing to compete. How convenient!”
Moscow can't afford an arms race
Political scientist Serhiy Taran counters on Facebook:
“If Putin seriously decides to enter into a nuclear arms race with the US, his economy would experience a spectacular collapse - similar to what happened during the Cold War. The development of new air defence systems in response to the 'Golden Dome' missile defence shield, which Trump has already announced, would be particularly damaging. ... But an even bigger consequence would be the change in the perception of everything Russian in the West, especially in the US. ... Russia would no longer be seen as an immediate threat only to distant Ukraine or Europe, but also to the US itself. Attitudes towards sanctions and diplomacy would then also change there accordingly.”
Deterrent effect still working for now
The world is right back in the Cold War, but this time with elements of a hot war, Sašo Ornik observes on his blog Jinov Svet:
“It's fortunate that the major powers possess nuclear weapons, as it is precisely the fear of total annihilation that prevents the masters of the world from waging total war. It's one thing to sacrifice the entire male population of Ukraine but quite another to have a nuclear explosion wipe out London and the entire British elite along with it. The threat of death can be very persuasive. Yes, this is a repeat of the first Cold War, but at the same time there is an element of a global conflict that has long since outgrown the framework of a local war.”
Things were more rational during the Cold War
Neatkarīgā compares today's nuclear threats between West and East with those of the 1980s:
“Back then, no one seriously thought or talked about war. Today, the situation is radically different. The Kremlin constantly brandishes its nuclear arsenal, [propagandist] Vladimir Solovyov calls for the 'destruction' of Western capitals on television almost daily and promises to wipe entire continents off the face of the earth. Meanwhile, the Nato secretary-general gives interviews and discusses which wars can be won and which cannot as if he were talking about a football match where some things are allowed and some are not. For Putin, words like 'allowed' or 'not allowed' do not exist. In his view, anything that brings the West to its knees and forces it to submit to Moscow's dictates is permissible.”