(OPINION) The world is “one mistake” from all-out nuclear war thanks to Vladimir Putin’s “dangerous games” in Eastern Europe, warns an ex-Navy chief. Moscow is amassing 100,000 troops on its Ukrainian border and is also supporting Belarus dictator Alexander Lukashenko as he “weaponizes” migrants against the EU.
And after accusing the US of conducting nuclear bomber drills 20km from its border, the Kremlin said its nuke forces were “on alert” and it had stepped up its military partnership with China. Admiral Lord West told The Sun Online the situation “is extremely dangerous and risky” with Putin playing “games in the area of grey warfare – things short of war.”
He continued: “In terms of the nuclear clock, I think we are closer to midnight than we’ve been certainly since the 1960s probably. “And that’s because of Russia’s silly behavior in Eastern Europe.” The nuclear clock – sometimes called the Doomsday Clock – is a symbol originating from 1947 which represents the likelihood of a global disaster.
The ex-Royal Navy chief said one mistake could lead to an all-out nuke conflict between the West and Moscow. He said: “By miscalculation, things could accelerate and you could end up fighting and no one wanting it and then it only takes a little step for someone to do something stupid like using one missile.
“Because one missile means more missiles are used and so on. “When you play silly games things can happen by miscalculation. That’s the worry.” On Russia’s partnership with China, Lord West believes in the short term, Putin is a bigger threat to Europe than the two nuclear powers combined. READ MORE
