US fears Russia will use ‘drastic’ tactics including nuke threat as fortunes wane in Ukraine
Russia might flip to more and more “unpredictable and drastic” techniques in its struggle on Ukraine — with the ever-present menace of nuclear struggle in opposition to the West, high US intelligence officers warned.
Director of Nationwide Intelligence Avril Haines warned the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday that “the following month or two of preventing will likely be important,” as President Vladimir Putin offers with a “mismatch between his ambitions” and his “navy capabilities.”
“The following few months might see us shifting alongside a extra unpredictable and doubtlessly escalatory trajectory,” together with “a interval of extra advert hoc determination making” by Russia, she warned.
It will increase the “probability that President Putin will flip to extra drastic means,” she stated, particularly “if he perceives Russia is dropping in Ukraine.”
In any case, Moscow will seemingly proceed to “use nuclear rhetoric to discourage the USA and the West” from serving to Ukraine.
“And if Putin perceives that the USA is ignoring his threats, he could attempt to sign to Washington the heightened hazard of its assist to Ukraine by authorizing one other massive nuclear train,” she stated, referring to the current take a look at of its so-called “Devil 2” missile, which it claims is unstoppable and capable of attain the US.
US spies at the moment consider Putin “would most likely solely authorize the usage of nuclear weapons if he perceived an existential menace to the Russian state or regime,” she stated.
“However we are going to stay vigilant in monitoring each facet of Russia strategic nuclear forces,” Haines confused.
“With tensions this excessive, there may be at all times an enhanced potential for miscalculation, unintended escalation, which we hope our intelligence will help to mitigate,” she stated.
In its annual menace evaluation report, Haines’ workplace confused that “Russia will stay the most important and most succesful” rival to the US in terms of weapons of mass destruction.
“Moscow views its nuclear capabilities as mandatory for sustaining deterrence and attaining its targets in a possible battle in opposition to the USA and NATO, and it sees a reputable nuclear weapons deterrent as the last word guarantor of the Russian Federation,” the company famous.
“Moscow continues to develop long-range nuclear-capable missile and underwater supply methods meant to penetrate or bypass U.S. missile defenses.
“Russia is increasing and modernizing its massive, numerous, and fashionable set of nonstrategic methods, that are able to delivering nuclear or standard warheads, as a result of Moscow believes such methods provide choices to discourage adversaries, management the escalation of potential hostilities, and counter U.S. and allied troops close to its border.”
Western concern on the threat of nuclear struggle elevated after Putin referred to his arsenal whereas launching his invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24.
After referring to Moscow’s nuclear forces, he warned that any try to get in Russia’s manner “will lead you to such penalties that you’ve got by no means encountered in your historical past.”
Days later he put these nuclear forces on excessive alert, blaming a fictitious menace from NATO. His navy chiefs additionally stated they might really feel justified utilizing nukes if below the “existential menace” that Haines referenced.
Russia stated final month that by autumn will probably be capable of deploy its newly examined Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles — dubbed Devil 2 — that’s able to making nuclear strikes in opposition to the US.
Putin additionally displayed a few of his nuke-capable missiles throughout Monday’s Victory Day parade in Pink Sq., by which he but once more blamed the West for his determination to invade his neighbor Ukraine.
With Put up wires
