Importance of nuclear weapons (in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine)

[IAJ]

Ukraine would have been a proper nuclear country today if it was not for the Budapest Memorandum 1994 and all the promises from Russia and West at that time.

I know people also criticise copuntries for having the atom bombs, but do you think Russia would have dared to attack if Ukraine hade nukes?

 

[James]

It is largely assured that nuclear armed states will not attack each other. Mutually Assured Destruction is a sound theory.

 

[ElRaja]

giving up nukes is the dumbest thing Ukraine ever did. regardless of what so-called experts say, it is a proven deterrent.

 

[Muddaser]

Ukraine's nukes were useless because Russia being the successor to the Soviet Union had all the authorisation codes needed to launch them.

 

[realitygaf]

Western bloc incorrectly assumed putin would not become unhinged decades later

 

[leonidas_alexandar]

Mutually Assured Destruction is a well established theory. Conventional superiority in numbers is largely negated when your enemy has access to nuclear weapons.

India v Pakistan, India v China at best so far have remained very localized, finite conflicts. The last full blown war between India and Pakistan was in 1971 when both countries were not nuclear armed.

Nuclear weapons in an ironic way are actually "weapons of peace" or at their worst at least scare governments into launching full scale attacks against enemy states who possess nuclear weapons.

 

[JaDed]

Western bloc incorrectly assumed putin would not become unhinged decades later

Lol there is a literally a novel on this by Jeffrey Archer Eleventh commandment in the year 1998 , there were always signs of this.

 

[IAJ]

Now Putin is threatning with using the nukes. Many experts here in Europe said Putin would not invade Ukraine, he is just blackmailing the west, but what happend?

Now again same experts here are saying he will never use these dangerous bombs but what if he is cornered completely? The man is 70 and can surprise us again? This is getting really dangerous.

Here in Norway the people are rushing to get Iodine (?) pills but already out of stock in many drugstores.

 

[JaDed]

Now Putin is threatning with using the nukes. Many experts here in Europe said Putin would not invade Ukraine, he is just blackmailing the west, but what happend?

Now again same experts here are saying he will never use these dangerous bombs but what if he is cornered completely? The man is 70 and can surprise us again? This is getting really dangerous.

Here in Norway the people are rushing to get Iodine (?) pills but already out of stock in many drugstores.

Not going to lie , 2 weeks ago I thought he was just putting pressure on NATO to move out, which they did but he still attacked.

Now that he is threatening nuclear , clearly he can’t be taken lightly anymore.

 

[MenInG]

Russia closes in on two nuclear sites

The head of Ukraine's state-run nuclear company Energoatom says the country is still in control of major energy sites, but adds that Russian troops are closing in.

Speaking to Reuters, Petro Kotin said troops are within 35km of the Zaporizhzhia and South Ukraine power plants, with troops clashing earlier today in Voznesensk - 30km away.

He added that he had requested help from the UN's atomic watchdog (IAEA), asking for it to create a 30km perimeter ban for Russian forces.

The Zaporizhzhia plant (the biggest in Europe) is working, but capacity has fallen by half, Mr Kotin said.

The mayor of Enerhodar, the location of Zaporizhzhia, has said that Russian forces are on the edge of the city and that Ukrainian troops are battling to defend it.

The site is a major energy hub in the south of the country on the Dnieper River, and delivers around a quarter of Ukraine's power from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.

Mayor Dmytro Orlov said that a large Russian convoy was approaching the city, and urged residents to stay inside.

Last week, Russian forces captured Chernobyl - the town at the centre of Europe's worst ever nuclear disaster - in the north of Ukraine - something Mr Kotin described as "nuclear terrorism".

 

[Syed1]

We should be forever thankful to MA Jinnah for giving us a separate homeland so that we do not have to constantly bow down to the hordes of Hindutvas.

After Jinnah, we should be forever thankful to Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan and the hundreds of unnamed scientists, engineers, technicians etc for making us a nuclear power and making an invasion impossible. So that no Pakistani ever has to see their country invaded like Ukrainians are seeing.

 

[LaLoco]

Eventually, one of the nuclear nation will use Nuke bombs first, it has happened before, twice, and it will happen again.

The question is which country will?.

 

[daytrader]

Number of nuclear weapons held by major powers rising, says thinktank
There are now an estimated 12,512 warheads across the globe, with most of the new ones in military stockpiles said to be China’s

The number of operational nuclear weapons in the arsenals of the major military powers is on the rise again according to a leading thinktank, whose analysts warn the world is “drifting into one of the most dangerous periods in human history”.

At a time of both deteriorating international relations and the escalation of nuclear sabre-rattling, there are now said to be an estimated 12,512 warheads globally, of which 9,576 are in military stockpiles ready for potential use, up 86 on a year ago.

The rise brings to an end the period of gradual decline that followed the end of the cold war. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) suggested 60 of the new warheads were held by China.

The other new weapons are attributed to Russia (12), Pakistan (five), North Korea (five) and India (four).

The increase in battle-fit warheads comes despite a statement in 2021 from the UN’s five permanent security council members – the US, Russia, China, the UK and France – that “nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought”.

Russia and the US together possess almost 90% of all the nuclear weapons globally. In addition to their usable nuclear weapons, the two powers each hold more than 1,000 warheads previously retired from military service, which they are gradually dismantling.

Of the total of 12,512 warheads in the world, which includes those that are retired and awaiting dismantlement, Sipri estimates that 3,844 are deployed with missiles and aircraft.

Around 2,000 of those – nearly all of which belong to Russia or the US – are kept in a state of high operational alert, meaning that they are fitted to missiles or held at airbases hosting nuclear bombers.

Sipri notes, however, that the full picture is difficult to judge as a number of countries, including Russia, the US and the UK, have reduced their level of transparency since Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

China, the world’s third biggest nuclear power, is believed to have increased its number of warheads from 350 in January 2022 to 410 in January 2023. That arsenal is expected to keep growing but Sipri predicts it they will not surpass the arsenals of the US and Russia.

...
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...ns-held-by-major-powers-rising-says-thinktank

 

[FearlessRoar]

Kazakhstan on the Verge of Constructing Its First Nuclear Power Plant

Marking a significant stride towards harnessing nuclear power, Kazakhstan is on the brink of constructing its first-ever nuclear power plant, an initiative estimated to cost between $10 billion and $15 billion. The project, currently in the financing stage, is looking to secure funding primarily from international financial institutions, according to Timur Zhantikin, the General Director of Kazakhstan Nuclear Power Plants. Notably, the project will be a commercial enterprise, devoid of direct government funding.

President Tokayev Calls for Public Consultation

In an unprecedented move, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has urged for a national referendum to decide on the nuclear power plant’s future. The president has underscored the necessity of public discourse on the matter, asserting that the people of Kazakhstan should have a say in the project’s fate.

The Ministry of Energy, after comprehensive research, has identified Ulken, a village located in the Jambil district of the Alma-Ata region, as the intended site for the plant.

International Collaboration and Proposals
Kazakhstan is currently reviewing several proposals from international nuclear technology providers. These include Russia’s Rosatom, China’s CNNC, South Korea’s KHNP, and France’s EDF.

Russia has shown particular interest in the project, with President Vladimir Putin expressing Rosatom’s readiness to collaborate with Kazakhstan. Putin has promised that Rosatom will bring advanced technology to the table, adhering strictly to environmental and safety standards.

Towards a Nuclear-powered Future
The project’s future, however, ultimately lies in the hands of the Kazakhstani people. As President Tokayev emphasizes the need for a referendum, it underscores the importance of public opinion in shaping the country’s energy policies.

The proposed nuclear power plant, if approved, could significantly alter Kazakhstan’s energy landscape and set a precedent for other nations considering nuclear power as a viable and sustainable energy source.

Source: BNN

Kazakhstan on the Verge of Constructing Its First Nuclear Power Plant

Kazakhstan is advancing towards the construction of its first nuclear power plant. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for a national referendum to decide on the project.

bnnbreaking.com

 

[FearlessRoar]

I think Russia is helping Kazakhstan build this nuclear plant.