Vladimir Putin would seemingly have no reason to take issue with Australia, but reports are claiming Russia’s nuclear weapons may be aimed at joint U.S. and Australian bases, and experts are claiming Putin is having a “masturbatory fantasy” over the whole issue.
In a related report by The Inquisitr , Vladimir Putin has repeatedly referenced Russia’s nuclear weapons capabilities in recent months, even going so far as to talk about modernizing their nuclear missiles , even as the Obama administration has been attempting to reduce the number of U.S. nuclear weapons. In fact, in 2014, it’s believed that the number of Russian nuclear weapons surpassed the United States for the first time, and experts claim both Obama and Putin believe they could win Cold War 2.
The Russian president also recently told a Serbian newspaper called Respublika that the “economic health of Europe and the world” could be “seriously undermined” due to U.S. sanction against Russia over the Ukraine crisis.
“Our partners should be well aware that attempts to put pressure on Russia with unilateral and illegitimate restrictive measures will not bring about a settlement, but rather impede the dialogue,” Mr. Putin said. “How can we talk about de-escalation in Ukraine while the decisions on new sanctions are introduced almost simultaneously with the agreements on the peace process? If the main goal is to isolate our country, it’s an absurd and illusory goal.”
Vladimir Putin also added a reminder about Russia’s nuclear weapon capabilities, and how any conflict with the United States would not end well for anyone.
“At the same time, this is not the first downturn in relations between our countries. We hope that our partners will realize the futility of attempts to blackmail Russia and remember what consequences discord between major nuclear powers could bring for strategic stability. For our part, we are ready to develop constructive cooperation based on the principles of equality and genuine respect for each others’ interests.”
Despite talk about lowering tensions, a report from The Sydney Morning Herald claims Vladimir Putin made another threat over Russian nuclear weapons while en route to the annual Asia-Europe Meeting in Milan.
“He’s again threatened the West with nuclear weapons,” says John Besemeres, a Russia expert at the ANU. “It seems like a masturbatory fantasy he can’t go without.”
It’s possible that even Australia is in the crossfires. During the first Cold War, Soviet Union officials admitted that Russia’s nuclear warheads were aimed at facilities in Australia at Pine Gap and Nurrungar that were jointly maintained by the U.S. and Australian governments. These bases were to used to track Russian spy satellites in addition to controlling U.S. spy satellites over eastern Russia.
Andrew O’Neil, a professor of international relations at Griffith University, claims Australia is “certainly on the Russian target list,” although other experts caution that it would not be the country as a whole.
“There is a low probability that Russian nuclear weapons are aimed at Australia, with one possible exception,” says Peter Jennings, formerly head of strategy at the Australian Defence Department and now head of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. “That would be the joint facilities. The joint facilities are the only thing that may be relevant to the US ability to launch an attack on Russia.”
Paul Dibb, an intelligence chief during the Cold War and former head of strategy at the Australian Defense Department, also blames Putin for shooting down Flight MH17 and the deaths of 38 Australians.
“Putin is complicit,” said Dibb. “These were Russian-supplied SA11s that fly at Mach 3 speed with a 70-kilogram warhead and, more importantly, they are a relatively sophisticated bit of kit. They would have had to be trained in how to use it. It takes three people to operate the launcher. Putin will have ordered the assassination of the people who pressed the button. It’s classic KGB. No fingerprints. He’s KGB trained. He’s a former KGB colonel. He’s not going to blink. He’s a man trained in the perfect lie.”
What do you think about these comments about Vladimir Putin and Russia’s nuclear weapons?