The chance of nuclear warfare is rising in the world. This is pertinent to the Ukraine war, which has been going on for more than one and a half years. The possibility of nuclear attacks has increased with Ukraine’s attacks in mainland Russia including Moscow, the capital city of Russia. According to multiple sources including the BBC, Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, warns that Russia may be compelled to use nuclear weapons, given that Ukraine’s counteroffensive succeeds. Definitely, the chance of nuclear attacks has already increased several times since the beginning of the war. Though Russia has not used nuclear bombs in the war yet, the chance of nuclear attacks is now on the rise probably substantially.
It is pertinent to note that I am not blaming Ukraine for its counteroffensive inside Russia which the president of Ukraine has emphasized recently. This technique may be helpful in bringing Russia into discussion tables, generating some compromises, or reaching more acceptable solutions, given that Russia does not use nuclear bombs. Also, any country attacked by another country has the right to carry out counteroffensive in the enemy country to ensure its own security. But the problem is that Ukraine’ attacks on the mainland of Russia will increase the chance and can be a decisive factor in the use of nuclear weapons by Russia — one of the nuclear superpowers which probably perceives its defeat to Ukraine as a defeat to the West and the shrinkage of its global and regional influence — though the present situations have changed at least somewhat.
But efforts to mediate the war are ineffective at this moment, though they are crucial to end the war with a peaceful solution(s). Chinese mediation offer definitely raised the hope of ending the war but it has not advanced at all, though the Chinese president met with the Russian president and talked to the president of Ukraine. XI’s Russia visit rather drew heavy criticism. Later the peace effort of seven African leaders raised some hopes but their talks to the leaders of both Russia and Ukraine also failed to bring any notable outcomes. In the latest attempts, the officials of more than forty countries, excluding Russia, gathered in Saudi Arabia, but there is no significant outcome of the meeting, which is termed by Russia as a doomed attempt.
It is definitely desired that the Ukraine war is resolved earlier. Nuclear attacks will definitely bring dangerous consequences to Ukraine — to say the least — even if the war does not escalate into a larger one involving the West against Russia. But mediation efforts are crucial to end the war with acceptable solutions, no matter whether the peace mediation is carried out by China, a group of seven African countries, Saudi Arabia, India or any other country or a group of countries. Boosting up efforts before the already complicated situation goes completely out of control is imperative. But it is also desired that the warring parties stop attacks and counterattacks including indiscriminate attacks and earnestly come to negotiation tables.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
