Ukraine crisis: Why is the world afraid of Russia?

On February 27, Russia sent shock waves across the world as Putin ordered his defence minister and the chief of the military’s general staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty.”

New Delhi: All the major global bodies of influence like the United Nations, NATO and European Union silently witnessed when ten days ago, Russia, after months of threats and build-up, launched a military attack on Ukraine in a bid to invade its territory.

Ever since then, every day, we wake up to the news of novel destruction and human rights violations that we never imagined could take place in the 21st century. The frightful Russian attack on Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe’s largest, is the case in point.

Though the attack did not unfold an irreversible nuclear crisis, it left the world powers baffled and us all with one question-- Why is the world scared of Russia?

The answer is simple-- Vladimir Putin’s nuclear threats

Threats of nuke attacks are one of the old weapons in Vladimir Putin’s arsenal be it Ukraine, Georgia or Cremia, but it is also the most threatening of all.

On February 27, Russia sent shock waves across the world as he ordered his defence minister and the chief of the military’s general staff to put the nuclear deterrent forces in a “special regime of combat duty.”

How the world responded to Russia’s nuke threat on Ukraine

This age-old threat by Russia compelled these big shot forces to lower their tone and respond cautiously

United Nations General Secretary Antonio Guterres called it a threatening development and urged Russia for an immediate ceasefire.

Later, the US military said on Wednesday that it will postpone a scheduled test launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, in a bid to lower soaring tensions after Russia announced it was putting its nuclear forces on high alert.

Similarly, NATO on Friday rejected Ukrainian calls to help it protect its skies from Russian missiles and warplanes.

Putin and Nukes-- an age-old threat

However these nuclear threats by Russia are no news, Putin had adopted a similar tactic in the case of Cremia too.

Russian officials issued nuclear threats at the time of Crimea annexation, which largely impacted the nature of retaliation by the Barack Obama administration in the US.

Russia’s dependency on nuke weapons is nothing new and is clearly reflected in its post-Cold War military doctrines, particularly the ones since 2000.

 These military doctrines have greatly reduced the threshold that would be needed to be crossed before Russia would resort to the use of nuclear weapons.

Meanwhile, Russia on Friday captured Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station.

The two rounds of peace talks have not been successful so far, though both the parties agreed to erect an evacuation corridor for civilians.