An RAF chief has warned that a nuclear war is only “a few steps away” as tensions between Russia and the West rise.
His warning comes amid growing concerns that the conflict in Ukraine could devolve into a nuclear-armed World War Three.
Lord West previously warned that a single miscalculation in the Russia-Ukraine crisis could spark a nuclear war.
Air Marshal Edward Stringer CBE has now told LBC that the prospect of nuclear war would be a “weight on the minds” of world leaders.
“It’s no longer unthinkable,” he said, “and it will clearly be weighing on the minds of those who are making all the political calculations right now, hence the very straight and consistent line from Biden and all the other senior heads of state recently.”
“It’s in the realms of possibility,” he added, “and that’s what people have to get their heads around.”
He added you could “sketch a plausible chain of events” that may lead to nuclear war, which is “only a few steps to get from where we are now”.
“That’s only a few steps to get from where we are now to a confrontation that could see the use of nuclear weapons, which I think is a pretty terrifying prospect for anybody sensible,” he said.
Experts, on the other hand, are quick to point out that the risk of mutually assured destruction has always been the most powerful deterrent to using nuclear weapons, keeping rogue nations from pressing the button.
The warning comes just one day after Russia released new footage of its 7,000mph Zircon hypersonic nuke missile.
The devastating weapon, which could strike London in minutes, has been dubbed “unstoppable.”
A Mach 9 Zircon – or Tsirkon – missile is fired from the Admiral Gorshkov frigate in the White Sea in the video.
Putin has repeatedly warned the West that if it is challenged over Ukraine, it will face “unforeseen consequences.”
Fears that the devastating conflict could turn nuclear grew when Russia’s dictator ordered his nuclear forces to be on high alert.
The Russian president’s decision to put his nuclear arsenal on “combat duty” sparked widespread concern around the world.
It is packaged as follows:
The US has warned that China is willing to send weapons to Russia to aid in its invasion.
Russian soldiers sobbed as they apologised for killing “civilians and children” in Ukraine.
A Russian drone was shot down in Ukraine today, according to reports, after it allegedly flew into Polish airspace.
An anti-war protester stormed Russia’s main propaganda news show, holding a sign that read, “They’re lying to you.”
One of the world’s most lethal snipers has declared that he “will not hesitate to squeeze the trigger.”
According to a British fighter, Ukrainian forces are “like the Taliban on steroids.”
Russia has released new footage of its hypersonic nuclear missile, which could strike London in five minutes.
General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, an ex-Nato Deputy Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, warned that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine could spark a nuclear war if Russian troops enter Nato territory.
Despite repeated requests from Ukraine’s president, Western leaders have been hesitant to impose a no-fly zone over the country, fearing it would spark a wider conflict with Putin.
“That is why, when there were calls for no-fly zones, the political leadership was quick to point out that Nato is a defensive alliance and Nato is not being attacked,” the Air Marshal continued.
“Nato is not designed to go on the offensive; if it did, it would be confronted with another nuclear power, Russia.”
Russia conducted nuclear drills with submarines and land-based missiles earlier this month.
The Northern Fleet of Russia said in a statement that several of its nuclear submarines were participating in exercises to “train manoeuvring in stormy conditions.”
