Senior Policy Director John Erath spoke with the Wall Street Journal about possible nuclear escalation in Ukraine. The article is behind a subscriber-only paywall.
Perhaps above all, repeated hints from Russian officials, including Mr. Putin last fall, that Moscow could use nuclear weapons during the war, has eroded a nuclear taboo that has been in place since World War II. It risks creating a precedent that could push other nations to seek nuclear weapons, says John Erath, senior policy director for the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a Washington-based think tank.
“If Russia is perceived as succeeding in gaining its objectives in part through use of nuclear threats and blackmail, that sets a very dangerous precedent,” he said. “Then you’re going to see more from North Korea, you’re probably going to see Iran building nuclear weapons and that may have half a dozen countries in the Middle East follow suit.” Read more
