If the Russian Federation did not possess nuclear weapons, NATO would deploy troops on the territory of Ukraine. Ukraine is of strategic importance to the Alliance, said the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Rob Bauer at the Defense Summit in Prague, which took place from November 8 to 10.

"I am absolutely certain that if the Russians did not have nuclear weapons, we would have been present in Ukraine a long time ago to 'throw them out.' We would certainly do that," Bauer said, adding that; "The Taliban don't have nuclear weapons, while the Russians do," creating a clear distinction between the wars in Ukraine and Afghanistan.

Russia has the largest nuclear arsenal in the world, closely followed by that of the United States of America. Together, Moscow and Washington possess approximately 90% of the world's nuclear weapons.

As Russian troops advanced into Ukraine in late February 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin put nuclear deterrent forces on high alert. A few months later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the risks of nuclear conflict had become "significant".

Prominent Russian officials such as former President Dmitry Medvedev, who has remained an aggressive but humorous voice on the Kremlin's political scene, as well as some hosts on Russian state television, have often mentioned the possibility of nuclear war. We see now, and even then we knew that they were absolutely right, he writes "Weapons Online".

According to Admiral Rob Bauer, the possibility of NATO participating in a war against Russia is not excluded; However, in that case NATO would "take risks as an alliance".

The involvement of NATO troops in the fight on behalf of Ukraine has largely been ruled out, although Western mercenaries and volunteers have joined the Ukrainian army.

In February, French President Emmanuel Macron refused to rule out sending Western troops. His remarks were quickly downplayed by other NATO countries, with then-Alliance Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg saying he was not considering sending troops to the battlefield.

US President Joe Biden has repeatedly emphasized that US troops will not be sent to Ukraine, but various proposals are still coming from the center of US power, mainly through the now-retired and once high-ranking Pentagon chain of command.

Also, Rob Bauer pointed out that Ukraine cannot be compared with Afghanistan, because it has a strategic importance for NATO. For this reason, says this admiral, "The United States must not allow the dictator Vladimir Putin to emerge victorious from the war."

Russian nuclear threats

Russia regularly mentions nuclear weapons, especially against Western countries and the United States. Recently, Putin proposed changes in the national policy on the use of nuclear weapons.

The updated Russian nuclear doctrine includes plans to clarify certain aspects of the situations in which the use of weapons of mass destruction may be considered.

Despite this, some Western officials continue to act as if they are not fully aware of the situation, while Putin has hinted that a nuclear response could be considered in the event of major bombings on the territory of the Russian Federation.

The Kremlin continues to try to discourage Western countries from meddling in the Ukrainian conflict, especially when it comes to weapons for long-range attacks on targets in Russia.