The Kursk operation of the Defense Forces of Ukraine impressed the international community not only by its speed and success, but also by the fact that it was the first time in history that a country without nuclear weapons launched an invasion and captured a significant part of the territory of a nuclear power, namely Russia.
Points of attention
- The Kursk operation provided an impetus for reviewing the role of nuclear weapons in the world and deterring aggression.
- The nuclear doctrine of the Russian Federation was not applied after the breakthrough of Ukrainian forces into the Kursk region.
- The possibility of nuclear escalation remains a real threat in the event of substantial gains by Ukraine or losses by Russia.
Ukraine was able to shock everyone
American journalists drew attention to this interesting fact.
They point out that for decades the prevailing view was that countries possessing nuclear weapons had considerable immunity from attack.
However, Ukrainian forces managed to destroy this myth in a matter of weeks.
Ukraine is not a nuclear power, but it has managed to seize territory that is now almost 1,300 square kilometers in more than three weeks, writes The Wall Street Journal.
According to the editors of the publication, it was a really "stunning turn" for which no one was ready.
They also add that currently Western leaders, well-known analysts and nuclear theorists are trying to predict the future development of events.
However, this is difficult to do, given the fact that dictator Putin should have used nuclear weapons against Ukraine, as he had previously threatened, but did not.
Putin will no longer be able to use nuclear weapons as a deterrent
Against the background of recent events in the world, we are forced to reconsider the role that nuclear weapons can play in deterrence.
It is no secret that Russia's nuclear doctrine clearly states that the country will use nuclear weapons in the event of a threat to the country's sovereignty or territorial integrity.
However, this did not happen when the Defense Forces of Ukraine began to take control of dozens of populated areas of the Russian Federation.
No one really knows the Russian "red line" — they never named it exactly. Later, we may find out that we crossed the red line two months ago, — explained former Soviet and Russian arms control negotiator Mykola Sokov.
In his opinion, the Kremlin and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin probably view threats to his regime as sovereign threats to the Russian Federation.
It is quite possible that significant gains by Ukraine or losses by Russia could still lead to nuclear escalation.
