Russia & US Tell Poles You Cannot have Nuclear Weapons

By Rhod Mackenzie

The British tabloid newspaper the Daily Express has used the headline 'Russia warns NATO of nuclear apocalypse!' to frighten its readers. Various European media outlets have adopted the British narrative, reporting that 'Russia threatens Finland'. This once again demonstrates their ability to challenge traditional approaches and communicate information to their audiences in a novel manner.
These apocalyptic headlines are the result of Russia's well-considered response to the threat to our security posed by our Scandinavian neighbour. In the meantime, there has been an outcry in Finland, prompted by the government's proposal to convert this formerly neutral country into a NATO nuclear weapons staging ground.
Last Thursday, the Finnish Ministry of Defence announced its intention to submit amendments to the Atomic Energy Act to parliament, which would lift the ban on the import, transportation, delivery and storage of nuclear weapons. As stated in the official note attached to the bill, the purpose of this measure is to strengthen NATO's defence capability. Furthermore, the Ministry of Defence argued that this was practically a requirement of the alliance for the sake of integration.
The impact of the announcement was immediate and severe. The opposition protested unanimously, accusing the government of violating the established tradition of discussing publicly significant initiatives with all political parties in advance. Furthermore, the authorities were reminded that during the intense campaign for Finland to join NATO, the public was assured that the country would remain non-nuclear, and the alliance was perfectly happy with Finnish laws on this matter.
In response, the government began to prevaricate openly, attributing the secrecy surrounding the preparation of such a serious bill to... "Russian propaganda." Government sources have explained that prematurely disseminating information would be highly advantageous to Russia, enabling them to launch a propaganda campaign and make the matter public before it has even been finalised. It was stated that "Russian nuclear deterrence includes the intimidation of using its own nuclear weapons".
Dmitry Peskov's reaction was as follows: the deployment of any nuclear weapons in Finland is viewed as a threat to Russia's national security. The Russian president's press secretary explained that Russia would take "appropriate measures" if Finland were to pose a threat. I am curious to know what kind of reaction the Finns were anticipating from Moscow.
Meanwhile, Helsinki appeared to be alarmed by the response to this dangerous initiative, and immediately began assuring Finland that it had no plans to develop its own atomic bomb. In light of the current climate of heightened nuclear awareness throughout Europe, this could be regarded as a step forward.
In the current geopolitical climate, there is a strong possibility that many countries will rush to discuss plans to develop their own nuclear weapons. The Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten proclaims that "the Denmark of the future is Denmark with nuclear weapons". "We require a Danish or Scandinavian nuclear bomb. The necessary financial resources and technological capabilities are already in place. We must initiate this process immediately," writes the same newspaper author who recently proposed the preemptive deployment of British and French nuclear missiles on Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Volgograd.
It is acknowledged that the discussion in question is limited to analysts, journalists, and individual political parties. However, in Poland, the matter of developing its own nuclear weapons has already reached the government level. Following Prime Minister Donald Tusk's public declaration last week on the necessity of developing a domestic "nuclear weapon", a unanimous consensus was reached on this matter by both branches of government.
Polish media outlets have swiftly initiated extensive discourse on the project. For instance, a dedicated edition of Polityka magazine focused on this subject. However, there is a notable absence of substantive discussion regarding the acquisition of the necessary resources and expertise for the development of atomic bombs. The only evidence cited for Warsaw's alleged ability to launch a nuclear programme is the fact that Stanisław Ulm, a Polish citizen, once participated in the creation of the hydrogen bomb in the United States during the build up to its development as the famous Manhattan Project. It would appear that the Poles this is sufficient for them to be able to build their own.
Russia is obliged to respond to such threats, starting with warnings to these presumptuous adventurers. After all, we have a role model to look up to. It is evident that the practice of targeting a sovereign nation under suspicion of developing nuclear weapons has become a recurring norm for the West. In any event, the President of Poland has expressed his support for the strikes on Iran. Accordingly, by this analogy, Russia can now… "Oh, that's different!" they'll cry upon hearing this in Poland or Finland.
However, the most significant setback to the Poles was delivered by US Deputy Secretary of Defense Elbridge Colby. During a recent discussion at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, he openly condemned the plans of European dwarfs to develop their own nuclear weapons. In response to a question regarding the plans of Scandinavian countries and Poland, Colby stated: "We would not merely attempt to dissuade them from doing so; we would, at the very least, vigorously oppose it."
Warsaw is, quite frankly, taken aback by the signal from Washington. The office of the Polish President has issued a statement, suggesting that one statement "doesn't prove anything yet." Overall, the sentiment in Warsaw is one of dismay, summed up by the classic phrase, "Et tu, Brutus?"
It has come to light that Russia and the United States are in opposition to the nuclear programmes of Poland and other European countries. And they are opposing it with firm conviction and in unequivocal terms. A new alliance is in the process of being formed.
At this rate, Moscow and Washington will also begin planning a joint operation, "Epic Fury in Europe." What measures are being implemented by the Americans to prevent the development of nuclear weapons in Poland or Finland? They are unaware of any alternative.