Russia’s New Nuclear Challenge To Europe
Russia is considering arming its Baltic fleet with nuclear warheads for the first time since the cold war, senior military sources warned last night.
The move, in response to American plans for a missile defence shield in Europe, would heighten tensions raised by the advance of Russian forces to within 20 miles of Tbilisi, the Georgian capital, yesterday.
Under the Russian plans, nuclear warheads could be supplied to submarines, cruisers and fighter bombers of the Baltic fleet based in Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave between the European Union countries of Poland and Lithuania. A senior military source in Moscow said the fleet had suffered from underfunding since the collapse of communism. “That will change now,” said the source.
“In view of America’s determination to set up a missile defence shield in Europe, the military is reviewing all its plans to give Washington an adequate response.”
The proposal to bring back nuclear warheads was condemned by Kurt Volker, the US ambassador to Nato, who said he knew of the threat.
“It is really unfortunate that Russia chooses to react by putting nuclear warheads in different places – if indeed it does that – when the rest of the world is not looking at some kind of old-fashioned superpower conflict,” he said.
The warnings came 24 hours after Russia told Poland that it could face a nuclear strike for agreeing to let the United States station components of the missile defence shield on its soil.
The Russian military also said it would ignore attempts to restrict the movement of its Black Sea fleet in and out of Sebastopol, in Ukraine. The Crimean port was emerging as a potential flashpoint in Russia’s efforts to prevent former Soviet countries on its borders from joining Nato.
This weekend Ukraine further angered Russian officials by offering to create a joint missile defence network with western countries.
The Russians have already indicated that they may point nuclear missiles at western Europe from bases in Kaliningrad and Belarus. They are also said to be thinking of reviving a military presence in Cuba.
In Georgia, Russian forces extended their reach across the west of the country yesterday, occupying several towns, seizing control of a main road and blowing up a railway bridge. Working with Abkhazian fighters they seized several Georgian villages and the Enguri power station. They pulled out of Igoeti, a village near the capital, after President Dmitry Medvedev signed a ceasefire agreement. The deal gave the Russians the right to continue patrolling “a few miles” inside Georgia. President George W Bush called the signing a “hopeful step”.
David Cameron, the Conservative leader, seized the initiative with a lightning trip to Tbilisi, becoming the first British politician to meet President Mikhail Saakashvili since the conflict began. Critics have accused government ministers of dithering.
Writing in today’s Sunday Times, Cameron says: “Russian armies can’t march into other countries while Russian shoppers carry on marching into Selfridges.”
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A real paper tiger trying to bluff a country who’s ‘left’ and the Euro hand-wringers have convinced it that it’s one instead.
August 17th, 2008 at 6:41 pmA REALLY sad state of ‘affairs’.
So here is a suggestion, why doesn’t Germany put the old Nazi WWII coal to liquids plants back in operation and tell the bear to stick it. Look at all the money the EU would have, all the jobs it would create and all the benefits of not buying oil from the bear. Germany has more coal than it knows what to do with … Coal to liquids makes fuel at $35 a barrel oil equivalent.
And there is nuclear power, ask France how …
Reagan warned Europe long ago to not to feed the bear.
August 17th, 2008 at 6:51 pmRattling rusty sabres.
August 17th, 2008 at 8:37 pmYou mean they have some left? I thought they had sold them all already. I’ve often wondered just what an inventory of their nuclear weapons arsenal would turn up.
August 17th, 2008 at 10:32 pmSo they’re trying to start the Second Cold War or World War III.
August 17th, 2008 at 11:17 pm“The Russians have already indicated that they may point nuclear missiles at western Europe from bases in Kaliningrad and Belarus.” hahaha when did they not have missles pointed toward the west. i was born at night but not last night! keep pushing putin, your not going to like it when we push back. i dont have any confidence in our govt but i have all the confidence in our military.
August 18th, 2008 at 2:51 amif you remind history, Germany and Russia were often natural and opportune alliees : 2 Volks (the Goths, the Slavics), 2 Reichs, that shared the same sense of manipulating the populations, until their ambitions do not confront, “Alles ist richtig”.
I am not convinced that Germany already thinks that Russia is becoming the N°1 ennemi in EU
Bill-tb, I don’t think that their “greens” would allow that coal mines reoppen, they are a powerful lobby in Germany
August 18th, 2008 at 3:03 am(remember also the cult of Nature held by the Nazis)
What BS. It doesn’t much matter from where you fire a nuke.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:00 amIt’s going to get to where it was targeted in twenty or thirty minutes.
So this pure Putin BS. We’ll move them closer. Like so effing what?
You want to fire your nukes? We fire ours?
Most of the northern hemisphere dying in a few weeks.
Big man Putin. Punk!
See how suicidal it would be to elect Obama now?
The only sensible way out is 20,000 interceptors on duty now.
Let our nukes get through and there’s get nowhere.
Stinking punk!
“(remember also the cult of Nature held by the Nazis)”
franchies right, the first enviro whackos were the NAZI’s!
August 18th, 2008 at 7:02 am