Page 14 - The Indian EYE 092322

OPINION SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 | The Indian Eye 14

Putin has tried to paint Western countries as a villain by accusing them of threatening to use Russia has some of the most sophisticated
WMD and blamed them for shelling Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plants nuclear missiles

which underscored secret psycho- bers are still stationed in the country.
logical operations conducted in the For sure, it is difficult to admit that
Ukraine–Russia conflict and other Ukraine will damage its own plants
places. and put its citizens at risk. Similar-
The Washington Post report re- ly, it is hard to believe that Russia
vealed the use of major social media will damage the plant and harm its
platforms such as Facebook and Twit- soldiers fighting the battle near the
ter in the disinformation campaign. plants or those who are stationed in
The United States Central Com- the complex after taking it over.
mand is also accused of influencing The conflict, it seems, has ac-
foreign countries. Of other activities, quired its own momentum. Both
the report supposedly found the in- sides, in order to outgun each oth-
volvement of the US military organi- er, possibly unintentionally, enter
zation in creating some ‘anti-Russian into the danger zone, or are crossing
narratives’. It seems the US govern- the red lines. Afterward, to escape
ment took note of the operation and from global criticisms, both indulge
ordered auditing of such activities in a misinformation campaign. Both
that amounted to ‘peddling false- sides are aware of the nuclear taboo,
hoods’. and the sensitivity of the internation-
Putin’s 21 September 2022 state- al community about the use or threat
ment though does bring to attention of use of nuclear weapons, which will
four aspects of Russian nuclear pol- have disastrous consequences for
icy, doctrine, or posture. These in- The world faces a threat of nuclear war because of the conflict in Ukraine Ukraine, Russia, and entire Europe.
clude an aggressive/offensive nuclear Instead of managing their misdeeds
weapon policy; a defensive first use ar threats against Europe’. Later, he will ‘certainly make use of all weap- through misinformation campaigns,
nuclear weapon policy; a retaliatory reiterated that ‘A nuclear war cannot on systems available’ and added that the parties to the conflict should take
first use nuclear weapons policy; and be won and must never be fought’. it was not a ‘bluff’. In his subsequent serious risk avoidance measures.
a retaliatory second-strike nuclear Interestingly, Biden in his remarks statement, Putin rhetorically stated
weapons policy. Putin’s statements only highlighted Putin’s threat to that “Those who are using nuclear Dr Rajiv Nayan is Senior Research
indicate that the Russian President Europe, and not against the entire blackmail against us should know Associate at the Manohar Parrikar
basically stated a retaliatory sec- NATO, when Putin had threatened that the wind rose can turn around.” Institute for Defense Studies and
ond-strike nuclear weapons policy. to retaliate against NATO WMD In recent months, Russia has Analyses, New Delhi
Putin accused the other side of threat. It would seem Biden also in- been censuring Ukraine and its
indulging in nuclear blackmail. Gen- terpreted or projected the fact to suit supporters for bombing the Zapor- Views expressed are of the author and
do not necessarily reflect the views of
erally, Western media gives the im- his narrative. izhzhya plants and damaging the the Manohar Parrikar IDSA or of the
pression that Putin is blackmailing Furthermore, and quite amus- support systems. Earlier, in Febru- Government of India.
the world with nuclear threats. Pu- ingly, in his 21 September 2022 state- ary–March 2022, Russia was held
tin though squarely reproached the ment, Putin did not overtly men- responsible for weaponizing the nu- This is the abridged version of the
leadership of the NATO countries tion that Russia would use nuclear clear power plants when it was sus- Introduction of the book which
for initiating steps to use WMD. weapons to retaliate against NATO’s pected of attacking Zaporizhzhya nu- appeared first in the Comment
Quite significantly, on the same threat of using WMD. He basically clear power plants. An International section of the website (www.idsa.in) of
day that Putin made his nuclear re- boasted that Russia possesses bet- Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense
marks, US President Joseph Biden Jr ter quality weapons than those of team led by Director-General visit- Studies and Analyses, New Delhi on
accused him of making ‘overt nucle- NATO. Putin asserted that Russia ed Ukraine, and some of its mem- September 22, 2022

www.TheIndianEYE.com