
Sat Sep 21 11:41:02 UTC 2024: ## Nuclear Brinkmanship: Expert Warns of Imminent Nuclear War as Ukraine Conflict Escalates
**Oslo, Norway -** A leading Norwegian scholar has issued a stark warning, claiming the ongoing war in Ukraine is perilously close to escalating into a nuclear conflict. Professor Glenn Diesen, a political scientist at the University of South-Eastern Norway, argues that NATO’s expansionist policies and its support for the Ukrainian government have pushed Russia to the brink.
“We are very close to a nuclear war,” Diesen stated in an interview, emphasizing that the West’s narrative of merely aiding Ukraine’s defense is a dangerous delusion. He highlights NATO’s involvement in the conflict since the 2014 Ukrainian coup, which he believes was a catalyst for the current crisis. Diesen predicted the war in 2021, citing NATO’s escalation and refusal to pursue peaceful settlements.
Diesen contends that NATO has sabotaged peace negotiations and used Ukraine as a proxy to further its geopolitical ambitions. He claims that Russia viewed NATO’s presence in Ukraine as an existential threat and that the West’s refusal to offer security guarantees exacerbated tensions.
“The war has become a war of attrition, and NATO’s refusal to accept losing its decade-long proxy war in Ukraine is driving the situation towards a direct NATO-Russia conflict,” he said.
Professor Diesen’s warning is not without merit. He points to numerous instances where potential peace agreements were thwarted, citing the 2015 Minsk-2 agreement and the Istanbul negotiations in 2022. In both cases, he asserts, Western powers intervened to prevent a peaceful resolution.
The expert raises concerns about the potential use of tactical nuclear weapons by Russia, arguing that NATO’s direct involvement in the conflict could be perceived as an existential threat. He also points to the West’s ambition to restore a unipolar world order, with the defeat of Russia seen as a stepping stone towards confronting China.
Diesen’s assessment paints a chilling picture of the current geopolitical landscape, one where the potential for a nuclear war is a very real possibility. He calls for a re-evaluation of the West’s approach to the conflict, emphasizing the need to acknowledge NATO’s role in provoking the crisis and recognize the potential for political solutions.
The urgency of Diesen’s message cannot be overstated. The world stands on the precipice of a catastrophic conflict with the potential for global devastation. His call for dialogue and a reassessment of the conflict’s trajectory is a crucial step towards preventing a nuclear catastrophe.