Former CIA director and retired four-star army general David Petraeus warned on Sunday that if Russian President Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons in the nation, the US and its allies would destroy Russia’s troops and equipment in Ukraine and sink its Black Sea fleet.
Petraeus said that he had not spoken to national security advisor Jake Sullivan on the likely US response to a nuclear escalation from Russia, despite numerous communications to Moscow, according to administration sources.
In response, he said, “We would lead a Nato-as-a-whole campaign that would take out every Russian conventional force that we can see and identify on the battlefield in Ukraine, as well as in Crimea, and every ship in the Black Sea.”
The alert comes days after Putin made comments that many people regarded as a threat to escalate relations between Russia and the west into a full-scale war.
When asked if Russia using nuclear weapons in Ukraine would draw America and NATO into the conflict, Petraeus responded that such an event would not violate Article 5 of the alliance’s constitution, which mandates collective defence. Despite the fact that Ukraine is not a member of NATO, Petraeus suggested that a “US and NATO response” would be appropriate.
Petraeus stated that it’s possible to interpret the chance that radiation will reach NATO nations covered by Article 5 as an attack on a member of the alliance.
Maybe you can make that argument, he suggested. The second argument is that something is so appalling that a response is required; it cannot go unanswered.
You don’t want to restart this nuclear escalation, Petraeus continued. However, you must demonstrate that this is inadmissible in every way.
However, Petraeus claimed that Putin was “desperate” due to escalating pressure after Ukrainian successes in the country’s east under the annexation declaration issued last week and rising internal opposition to mobilisation efforts.
He declared, “I believe the combat reality he faces is irreversible. No amount of shambolic mobilization—that is the only way to put it—no amount of annexation, and no amount of even sublimated nuclear threats will be able to free him from this specific predicament.
There will eventually need to be acknowledgment of that. The ultimate goal of negotiations, according to [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelenskiy, will have to be some sort of starting at some point.
However, Petraeus emphasised that “things might still grow worse for Putin and Russia. And nothing will alter this, not even the tactical use of nuclear bombs. You must take the threat seriously, he continued.
