Ms. Fiona Hill, an American Policy Advisor and, probably the most respected expert on the man himself, Vladimir Putin, says that the Russian president would use nuclear weapons. Ms. Hill has worked in both democratic and republican administrations and has observed and studied Putin for decades. One may recall that she testified truthfully during impeachment hearings of her former boss, President Donald Trump. Ms. Hill, who studies history, was interviewed by the media-house Politico. The following are excerpts of that interview.
Q: “There’s the nuclear element. Many people have thought that we’d never see a large ground war in Europe or a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, because it could quickly escalate into a nuclear conflict. How close are we getting to that?”
Hill: “Well, we’re right there. Basically, what President Putin has said quite explicitly in recent days is that if anybody interferes in Ukraine, they will be met with a response that they’ve “never had in [their] history.” And he has put Russia’s nuclear forces on high alert. So he’s making it very clear that nuclear power is on the table. Putin tried to warn Trump about this, but I don’t think Trump figured out what he was saying. In one of the last meetings between Putin and Trump when I was there, Putin was making the point that: “Well you know, Donald, we have these hypersonic missiles.” And Trump was saying, “Well, we will get them too.” Putin was saying, “Well, yes, you will get them eventually, but we’ve got them first.” There was a menace in this exchange. Putin was putting us on notice that if push came to shove in some confrontational environment that the nuclear option would be on the table.”
Q: “Do you really think he’ll use a nuclear weapon?”
Hill: “The thing about Putin is, if he has an instrument, he wants to use it. Why have it if you can’t? He’s already used a nuclear weapon in some respects. Russian operatives poisoned Alexander Litvinenko with radioactive polonium and turned him into a human dirty bomb and polonium was spread all around London at every spot that poor man visited. He died a horrible death as a result. So if anybody thinks that Putin wouldn’t use something that he’s got that is unusual and cruel, think again. Every time you think, “No, he wouldn’t, would he?” Well, yes, he would. And he wants us to know that, of course. . .”
During the interview, Ms. Hill explained that Putin is motivated by the emotional desire to recreate the historical tsarist Russian Empire. She believes that over the last two years Vladimir Putin has been studying Russian History. This belief agrees with the observations of another expert on Russia, Ms. Catherine Belton who said that Putin’s behaviour has been changing over the last two years. When asked if Vladimir Putin would start World War 3, the expert said, “he already has.”
More, In The Ring.
