Fears of a nuclear reprisal: US preps for potential Russian strike on Ukraine
CNN journalist Jim Sciutto in his book "The Return of the Great Powers. Russia, China, and the Next World War," set to be released on 12 March in the US, reported that the White House was bracing for a nuclear attack.
Such information surfaced in October 2022. Americans feared that Russia might deploy tactical nuclear weapons—weapons with lesser destructive power designed for use on the battlefield. "The New York Times" in November 2022 indicated that Russian generals discussed the possibility of using such a weapon in Ukraine.
Revenge for Kherson
Upon receiving this information, the Joe Biden administration started planning how to best position itself should that unfathomable event occur," a White House source disclosed to the journalist.
The National Security Council convened several times during this period. The U.S. sought to devise a response plan or to pre-empt a potential strike.
The White House feared that Russia might execute such an attack in retaliation for losing Kherson. The city represented one of the largest victories for the Russians during their invasion. However, in November 2022, the Russian military was compelled to retreat from it.
Washington was worried that the situation could become a "potential trigger." Putin considered the territories of the Kherson region as his own - an illegal referendum was even held there. The Americans anticipated that Russia might employ tactical nuclear weapons as a "deterrent" to prevent the Ukrainians from advancing further.
Rumors of a "dirty bomb"
CNN reported that simultaneously, Russian propaganda was disseminating rumors about Ukraine planning to use a "dirty bomb". Washington interpreted this as possibly camouflaging a Russian assault.
In October 2022, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu contacted ministers in the USA, the UK, France, and Turkey, voicing concerns over "possible provocations by Kyiv using a dirty bomb."
The Americans were convinced there was no merit to such concerns but interpreted it as Russia fabricating a justification for its own aggressive actions or seeking a pretext to "commit an act of desperation".
Thus, the Americans issued a warning to the Russians about the repercussions of any potential strike. Efforts were also made to highlight the issue to China and India. Public statements from Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, as per the U.S., played a role in alleviating the crisis.
Source: CNN
