Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces

Re:Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces by ethbr0 on Thursday February 24, 2022 @02:52PM (#30459387)

That cuts both ways. NATO air assets over Western Ukraine would have forced Russia to start a shooting conflict with a nuclear alliance.

As is, they were able to move into Ukraine without nuclear risk, because the US explicitly said we wouldn't put troops there.

And let's not pretend Russia shooting down a US plane or vice versus would start a nuclear war. It happened fairly commonly during the Cold War, quietly.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces by the_snooze on Thursday February 24, 2022 @03:06PM (#30459569)

NATO forces in or above Ukraine would be the modern equivalent of the Cuban Missile Crisis, and we would be the aggressors setting up shop right next to a nuclear power. A lot of our fighter aircraft are nuclear-capable, and the Russians would have no way of telling which missiles are conventional-tipped or nuclear-tipped.

What you're describing is reckless brinksmanship. One mistake or misread and the world ends.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces by ethbr0 on Thursday February 24, 2022 @03:11PM (#30459637)

NATO forces have been above Ukraine for the last several years. The US et al. were flying ISR missions right up against the borders of Belarus, Russia, and eastern Ukraine rebel-held areas up to a couple days ago.

"Reckless brinkmanship" is an odd phrase, when we're talking about responses to Russia invading a sovereign country.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces by garaetjjte on Thursday February 24, 2022 @04:06PM (#30460280)

But NATO doesn't really want to fight that war. Electorate would vote governments out for getting involved in war they doesn't really care about. And Putin knows that too.

So what if NATO puts some forces in Ukraine, but Putin calls their bluff and attacks anyway? Small contingent wouldn't be nearly enough to hold the territory, so you need to either engage for real (but you don't have political capital for that), or withdraw forces which would look like huge humiliation.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces by Aeolun on Thursday February 24, 2022 @07:58PM (#30462493)

> withdraw forces which would look like huge humiliation

This is much less relevant for a constitutional democracy than for a dictatorship.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Chernobyl power plant captured by Russian forces by Johnny555 on Thursday February 24, 2022 @02:59PM (#30459474)

And let's not pretend Russia shooting down a US plane or vice versus would start a nuclear war. It happened fairly commonly during the Cold War, quietly.

This is not the cold war, I don't think anyone can predict what Putin will do if provoked and he needs to save face.

[ Parent | on HN ]