Prof John Mearsheimer [@MearsheimerJ] warns that Moscow will no longer allow the West to “use Ukraine as a battering ram against Russia.” Strategists are now floating a terrifying escalation where “countries in Europe that support the Ukrainians should be struck with conventional weapons”—even NATO members.
If conventional strikes fail, Mearsheimer notes that “a limited use of nuclear weapons is called for” to halt Western aid.
The goal is “largely for demonstrative purposes” to signal that Russia will not tolerate further intervention.
This is a high-stakes gamble to force the West to stop its U.S. strategy of attrition before a total collapse occurs.
The window for a diplomatic exit is closing as the Russia-Ukraine war enters its most dangerous phase.
