• vzq@lemmy.world
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      23 hours ago

      If Russia starts nuking shit, wouldn’t Russia be starting ww3?

      Or are we supposed to just accept the implication that only western countries have agency?

      • freagle@lemmygrad.ml
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        22 hours ago

        Do you understand how WWI became a world war? When two countries had a conflict between them, a network of alliances caused others countries to become parties to the conflict. That’s exactly what’s happening here.

        The US, through NATO, was deploying lethal capabilities in Ukraine. Russia determined that this was strategically threatening its security, a position that it has held for 30 years and has been acknowledged by US leaders, diplomats, and generals, as well as world leaders and even the leaders of NATO. Russia launched a conflict with Ukraine, and Ukraine only, in order to address its security concern.

        If the USA enters the war, unprovoked by Russia, then it would be the USA starting WW3, just like in WW1 a conflict between two countries expanded to include uninvolved parties when they made themselves involved. The problem with the ATACMS is that it requires US/NATO to operate. Within the borders of Ukraine, that means that US forces are killing Russian soldiers in Ukranian territory. While problematic, Russia has only escalated its rhetoric based on this involvement. However, if US/NATO troops were to use ATACMS to strike Russian targets on Russian territory, that would be an act of war against Russia which would require a response. In this way, the US would expanding the war beyond the conflict of Ukraine and Russia to now be Ukraine, Russia, and the US - an escalation to world war.

      • Sagittarii@lemm.eeOP
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        22 hours ago

        I doubt Russia will actually use nukes, what with MAD and all.

        Then again, people said the same thing about the invasion. Russia doesn’t have a no-first-use nuclear weapons policy like the USSR did, so they could use them if they deem the country to be under existential threat.

      • Scorpius [He/Him]@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        23 hours ago

        This is clearly a response to the US allowing strikes inside Russia.

        Interesting timing to do that when Ukraine, Germany and Russia have been gearing up to negotiate an end to the war next year. Wonder if this is to give the west more leverage in the negotiations or to escalate to give the republican admin next year a tougher time.

        • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
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          23 hours ago

          So you’re saying Russia has never struck inside Ukraine. Or somehow The US started the war in Ukraine.

          Or is it just a freaking stupid idea that one nation can attack another. And expect them not to retaliate.

          • freagle@lemmygrad.ml
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            22 hours ago

            None of these are valid concepts. The reality is that Russia is in a conflict with Ukraine. Activating alliances brings those other countries into the conflict, which is exactly how WW1 became a world war. The USA has nothing to do with this conflict (except the entire casus belli, but let’s go with your position). If the US was neutral, Ukraine would lose and Russia and Ukraine would negotiate a security arrangement to prevent further conflict.

            But the US has supplied Ukraine with the equivalent of the entire Russian military budget 3 years in a row. Ukraine keeps fighting exclusively because of US support. But, that has been limited to the borders of Ukraine, which creates sufficient ambiguity that only allows Russia to escalate rhetoric. As soon as the US’s involvement creates the conditions for strikes on Russian territory, now the USA is a participant in attacks against Russia, making it an escalatory move on the USA’s part. The USA could just stay out of it and this whole thing will resolve itself with far fewer deaths and far less destruction.

            • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
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              21 hours ago

              Accept, Russia broke international law when it attacked Ukraine. As it broke its own treaties to respect 1996 borders in exchange for Ukraine giving up its nukes.

              So nope. Also, the only reason Ukraine is not a part of NATO. Is that same treaty where they agreed not to join.

              So anyway, you try to argue this. If Russia is the first to launch nukes. They started WW3.

              • freagle@lemmygrad.ml
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                20 hours ago

                Uhh, that’s completely illogical. Yes, Russia broke international law by invading a country. That’s true. That does not give the USA the right to attack Russian territory. That’s not actually how international law works.

                There are lots of reasons Ukraine isn’t part of NATO. The first one is that Ukraine made a political commitment with Russia to remain neutral. The second is that Russia made it clear that Ukrainian neutrality was to be respected by NATO allies. The third is that the USA knew how dangerous it would be to bring Ukraine in so they worked on every other former Soviet Republic first. The fourth is that the NATO allies don’t all agree on bringing Ukraine in. And the fifth is that NATO policy forbids admitting a country in an active border dispute.

                You can say that nukes make it WW3, but that’s just vibes. World war is when a war between 2 countries expands to include more countries. Right now, the war is between Russia and Ukraine. If the USA gets involved, then the USA is escalating to world wars. Your vibes are not the standard.

                • trebor_project@lemmy.ml
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                  19 hours ago

                  “That does not give the USA the right to attack Russian territory.” What? There is no chance of this… No one is even suggesting it. Seriously touch grass

                  • freagle@lemmygrad.ml
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                    19 hours ago

                    There is no chance of the USA attacking Russian territory? Really? The USA has trainers, weapons, supply chains, recon, targeting intelligence, all confirmed on the ground on the ground in Ukraine and likely multiple unconfirmed capabilities on the ground as well. There is ABSOLUTELY a large chance of the USA attacking Russian territory.

                    ATACMS are USA weapons, that require USA training and often USA/NATO operators to function, USA personnel for maintenance and repair, etc. Each incremental escalation brings us closer to USA actors pulling a trigger to hit a target in Russian sovereign territory. The USA is salami slicing right now, and Russia is 100% correct to call it out, take preventative action, and prepare for escalation.

                • Lysergid@lemmy.ml
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                  19 hours ago

                  Russia can fuck off with its definition of neutrality. Russia was absolutely fine when pre-maidan Ukrainian “government” wanted more integration with Russia. Russia’s neutrality definition is submission to Russia’s will. And BTW, NATO was never a goal until Ukraine got attacked. Ukraine wanted economic integration with west.

                  • davel [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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                    19 hours ago

                    Russia was absolutely fine when pre-maidan Ukrainian “government” wanted more integration with Russia.

                    You mean the democratically elected government, which was replaced by a US-backed coup “government”[1]?

        • vzq@lemmy.world
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          23 hours ago

          Interesting timing to do that when Ukraine, Germany and Russia have been gearing up to negotiate an end to the war next year

          Threatening nuclear war under these circumstances is definitely an interesting timing.