The Russian state channel «Russia-1» transferred to the U.S. military facilities that will become targets of the Kremlin in the event of a nuclear attack. Presenter Dmitry Kiselev announced that a hypersonic missile «Zircon» will be aimed at the Pentagon and several command posts, including the control of nuclear forces.
At first glance, nothing new in the next potryasenii «nuclear club» is not. Such rhetoric sounds from the Russian Federation for several years. One of the first threats on this subject was the famous saying of Dmitry Kiselev about the fact that «Russia can turn USA into radioactive ash». Nuclear blackmail resumed before the presidential election in the United States. Then the leading propaganda media openly declared: if the elections are won by Hillary Clinton, the war will be almost inevitable.
In October 2016 on Russian television, one after another out specialized programs devoted not only to the quality of air-RAID shelters, but the technology of missile defense. On the official channel of the Ministry of defence and were all out for 20 minute story under the loud name «Obama threatens Russia!», in which it was explicitly stated that the US «is the enemy of mankind.» At the same time well-known Russian journalist Alexander Sotnik published a post of a woman who claimed that students of a Moscow school afraid of nuclear war with the United States and death in case of victory in the presidential elections of Hillary Clinton.
The US withdrawal from the agreement [INF] — called «political and geostrategic gift to Russia«
Another striking example of open nuclear blackmail was the threat voiced by Vladimir Putin in the homonymous film, «the world Order-2018». On a direct question of Vladimir Solovyov about the possibility of use of nuclear weapons, Putin replied that he was ready to strike only the «retaliatory strike». However, he said: «Yes, for the world it will be global, but why should we be the world if there is not Russia?«, openly admitting it, is willing to destroy the planet in a nuclear war, if they feel a threat to their country. It is significant that as an epilogue to the film included the infamous passage from the message to the Federal Assembly, in which Putin shows new weapons in «response to the United States on their way out of the ABM Treaty».
In the message to the Federal Assembly in 2019 Vladimir Putin also did not forget to mention a nuclear Arsenal. In particular, the Russian President called the presence of US missiles in Europe a threat to world security and promised to provide in case of deployment «mirror and asymmetric actions.» At the same time during the speech was shown live launches new strategic missile complex «Sarmat» and cruise missiles with a nuclear power plant.
It would seem that there is nothing new in these threats, and moreover, they’ve appeared at least some formal reason — the US withdrawal from the Treaty on the elimination of intermediate-range and shorter-range nuclear forces (INF). However, it is not so simple.
In October the famous Russian scientist and publicist Andrei Piontkovsky noted that the request of the President of the United States Donald trump and his Advisor John Bolton to withdraw the U.S. from the INF Treaty is a step in the «big deal» between Moscow and Washington and any outcome of this initiative will be beneficial for Russia. In particular, Piontkovsky believes that in the case of the Americans ‘ withdrawal from the Treaty «Putin will be able to… openly place in Kaliningrad and Belarus prohibited by the Treaty INF ground-based cruise missiles 9М729 and at the same time talking about a new arms race imposed by the hated Pindos«.
the illusion of confrontation between Russia and the United States equally favorable to Putin and Trump
In December of the same thoughts voiced by U.S. senators-Democrats, calling President trump to take into account the negative consequences of the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty. The US withdrawal from the agreement they called «political and geostrategic gift to Russia«, noting that this will allow Russia to expand production and deployment of its systems in Europe. This is not the first time trump’s actions fully correspond to the interests of Moscow. Russian analysts have repeatedly mentioned that the attacks the US President for the American intelligence community and its allies in NATO and the EU, as well as creating chaos and confrontation within the United States, of course, play into the hands of the Kremlin. All these actions are performed on the personal initiative of trump, without any nuclear blackmail from Moscow. Moreover, part of the official Russian media continues to support trump on the background of his opponents, in opposition to the American system. A similar argument will periodically Putin himself.
In short, against this background, it is extremely difficult to assume that Russia sees in the property trump real threat and the more serious opponent in a new arms race. The question arises: who then is calculated a new round of demonstration of the power of personally by Vladimir Putin, and he controlled the media? In my opinion, there are 3 goals of the new «nuclear escalation».
1. Firstly, it is, of course, the Russian domestic audience. The last message of the President to the Federal Assembly, as rightly noted by the observers, was devoted to social policy. Vladimir Putin, it was important to highlight your image as the «father of the nation», able to take care of the poor and disadvantaged, children and the elderly, paying attention to the «servicemen people» willing to stand up for the oppressed entrepreneurs and, of course, to protect its «loyal subjects» of many «external threats». Defender and Saviour are the main features focused in the formation of the image of Putin in the eyes of Russians, and because of these traits his followers are ready to forgive him all the other shortcomings.
the message of Moscow addressed not so much to Donald Trump, as his opponents
2. Secondly, the illusion of confrontation between Russia and the United States equally favorable to Putin and Trump. For Putin, as already mentioned, it becomes a perfect excuse for renewed arms race and the deployment of missiles aimed at Europe. Trump also advantageous to position itself within the US as a tough opponent of Moscow, especially against the background of the continuing investigation of the Russian interference in the presidential election and an alleged conspiracy, which, by the way, have already reached the final straight.
3. There’s also the possibility that the message of Moscow addressed not so much to Donald Trump, as his opponents. Indeed, very few in the American political establishment and even in the midst of the trump supported the US withdrawal from the INF Treaty. Not only Democrats but also many Republicans understand that the militaristic ambitions of the Kremlin need to contain, and these people, unlike trump, they do not «play the giveaway» with the Russian leader. It is not excluded that on the background of the completion of the investigation of spectracolor Robert Mueller the Kremlin is afraid of possible impeachment trump or at least substantial limitation of his powers. Therefore, it is highly likely that the aggressive messages addressed not the current White house administration, and those who, in the opinion of the Kremlin, will replace it or at least will have a significant impact on US foreign policy.
in the American establishment there is a large group which is ready to forgive Moscow any tricks as long as there is continued cooperation in the nuclear field
Russian opposition politician Vladimir Milov, a couple of years ago noted that the topic of cooperation with Russia on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons occupies a special place in the politics of U.S. national security and the American establishment there is a large group which is ready to forgive Moscow any tricks as long as there is continued cooperation in the nuclear field. Exactly what Putin hopes to trap nuclear blackmail. And, admittedly, this trap is built smart enough.
Peace-loving Democrats is unlikely to start a new arms race, and it really will become a threat to world security. Because opponents of trump, but rather, try to curb the aggressive behaviour of Moscow, to enter into a new agreement, and thereby become «peacekeepers», «keep Russia» and «prevented a new world war triggered by trump.» However, since the initiative of the agreement in this case will come from Washington, the negotiations will clearly be carried out on the Russian side and the new agreement will be beneficial for Moscow a lot more than the previous one. It is not excluded that the Kremlin will allow it to Trump to initiate a new contract — of course, on their own terms. In any case, the situation is certainly favorable to Putin.
