The New Cold War: More Nuclear Weapons in Europe?

The New Cold War: More Nuclear Weapons in Europe?

2022, Politics  -   14 Comments
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In March 2022, Russia invaded and waged war against Ukraine. Russian strongman president Vladimir Putin is unflinching in his commitment to subdue Ukraine. He is persistent in his cause, despite all the economic sanctions and blowback from the world's nations. He claims he will be defiant to the bitter end and has openly threatened to deploy nuclear weapons to target the West if any NATO member or any other country provides military support to Ukraine.

For many who lived through the Cold War, especially in Europe, it is a chilling throwback to the days when many countries had their stash of nuclear missiles ready for launch anytime. Is Europe and the rest of the world living through a Cold War reboot or version 2?

In 2018, filmmaker Andreas Orth took a barometer reading of the geopolitical situation in Europe by getting insights from several international experts on nuclear warfare. They firmly believe that the possibility of a nuclear war is higher today than ever during the Cold War.

In 1987, the USA and the then USSR signed the INF (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces) Treaty eliminating all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range up to 5,500 kilometers. When the Cold War "officially" ended in 1991, European countries dismantled their nuclear weapons and old bunkers were quickly converted to tourist attractions and even rave venues.

However, in 2018, military posturing, fly-bys and many other old-school Cold-War era military exercises and maneuvers, especially coming from Russia, increased dramatically. Atomic weapons were suddenly being tested in the United States, on the behest of European countries that owned these weapons. President Trump also abruptly withdrew from the INF treaty with NATO's approval and support due to Putin's long-running violation and non-compliance with the treaty.

Orth recently talked again to the same experts to get their updated take in light of the war in Ukraine, and they all agree that European governments are slowly reassembling and rebuilding their stash.

Putin's threats should also not be downplayed. There are signs that strategic Russian nuclear strongholds are being rebuilt or revived. The current level of risk for a nuclear fallout is very high.

As the world watches how this will all play out, what is very clear is that, like back in the Cold War era, more nuclear weapons will boost feelings of insecurity, mistrust and fear. And hopefully, we are not currently going through the end of a peaceful period in our collective history.

Directed by: Andreas Orth

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Solatle
Solatle
10 months ago

No nuclear bombs dropped anywhere. They don't exist; they don't work. It's a fear-mongering propaganda to control people around the world.

Frank
Frank
1 year ago

No matter the invasion of Ukraine guys. The frightening issue is as follow;
The "Fat Boy" that was dropped on Herosima caused unprecidented destruction, and deaths of millions of innocent children, women and men. Why? Ok now today we have nuclear bombs more than a 1,000 times more destructive than "Fat Boy" and it will only cost one mentally ill politician to push the button and mother earth will be gone and guess what we have such a guy and he runs the USA

Dekkers
Dekkers
1 year ago

Russia bla bla bla Putin bla bla bla
Westerns love to blame someone for their own stupid mistakes. It is easy to say that everything is Putin's fault and he is the devil thirsty for power. The European hari-kari was done by anyone else than the lunatic European leaders.

pooh bear
pooh bear
1 year ago

What keeps Putin awake at night isn't NATO expansion, its being the old, boring, obsolete, unimportant Russian that he knows he really is.

Not Me
Not Me
1 year ago

if Ukraine retained their nukes this wouldn't've happened.

Francisco
Francisco
1 year ago

I'm so sick and tired of the anti-Putin propaganda and the general dystopian state of the media. They treat their viewers like they're all naive 12-year-old children who need to be repeatedly hammered over the head with fairy tales of good versus evil. This whole Russia/Ukraine narrative is distorted to the point of insult, where we're supposed to believe that Putin is some comic book villain who invades countries because he's just an evil guy with nothing better to do.

Harry W
Harry W
1 year ago

There is a simple solution to Putin's threats: arm Nato's European countries with nuclear weapons. Nuclear deterrents worked for fifty years and will work again. Tyrants only repond
to strenght not talk: case in point, Ukraine.

Gee Wizz
Gee Wizz
1 year ago

So with out listening to the DW
Document I’ve been told and now know the boodieman is a evil Russian strongman?
For a while I thought Victoria Nuland Inc. at the DoS camp was the evil person that pulled
off a Coup 2014 and killed Ukrainian citizens that lead up to present. Thanks for saveing me the mental anguish and tube time.

Britian vagg burp
Britian vagg burp
1 year ago

WHY THE FK CAN'T BRITISH PEOPLE PRONOUNCE "A" at the end of a word example: British says "Ameriker" everyone else says "America".... British = Canader rest of the world Canada... all that been said they can still say words like "Japan" or "toaster" with no issue at all...

Solatle
Solatle
1 year ago

It is impossible to induce instantaneous nuclear fission or fusion with current science and technology. It's all hoax to control people with fear.