USA, RUSSIA, PUSHED TO

BRINK OF NUCLEAR
WARFARE
Post Cold-War Era Does Not Seem as Safe
From Nuclear War Than We Thought.
~November 15, 2015~
Just as citizens started getting content with the relations between Russia and the United
States, a future of nuclear warfare is not far out of sight.
To this day, the Russians are continuing to make new nuclear weapons while their own
political leaders are in negotiations about a halt in the testing of nuclear weapons. As many may
not know, Russia is spending an abundance of money to increase its nuclear arsenal (Cirincione).
After the Cold War and nuclear bomb phase died down, the worry about these kinds of
weapons were not as considerable. Clearly, the former communist country is attempting to
greatly increase the types and amounts of its nuclear weapons. In fact, Russia is testing its new
H-Bomb (Cirincione). It is an atomic bomb that could be fired from a ship to destroy a coastal
city and make it uninhabitable for decades.
According to former United States Secretary of Defense William Perry, the world is far
from nuclear disarmament (Cirincione). Perry also stated that the United States and Russian
nuclear arsenals are well beyond the point of nuclear deterrence. As many abolitionist groups
push for abrogating nuclear bombs, it doesnt seem like something that will happen in the near
future (Hanley).
Also, it is not known if Russia can afford a nuclear war at this point, especially considering
how weak its economy is doing (Cirincione). Not to mention, going to nuclear war with the
United States would mean that all of the countries in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
(NATO), would be in the war against Russia as well.

(http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/2015/10/05/us-russia-vladimir-putin-syria-ukraineamerican-military-plans/73147344/)
Experts predict that in a conventional toe to toe fight, the United States would triumph
over Russia (Tilghman). In a nuclear war, it is unlikely that it would end in one of the countries
being defeated conventionally. This is especially true due to the fact that the two superpowers
would likely launch nuclear missiles before surrendering.
The United States spends almost ten times the amount of Russia on its national defense
budget. USA also has a huge technological advantage and a great distribution of power around
the world compared to its rival (Tilghman).
However, many experts say that comparing these two countries militaries is like
comparing apples to oranges. The Russians are not focused on a head to head attack on the
United States, but instead want to build its country as an access of denial.
Albert Einstein once said, I do not believe that civilization will be wiped out in a war
fought with the atomic bomb. Perhaps two-thirds of the people of the earth will be killed
(BrainyQuote). The two nuclear superpower countries both know that a nuclear conflict wouldnt
take the world lightly. Not only would the US and Russia be affected, it would stretch out to
almost every country in the world.
After all, there is no winner of nuclear war. Former United States President John F.
Kennedy said, We will not act prematurely or unnecessarily risk the costs of worldwide nuclear
war in which even the fruits of victory would be ashes in our mouth. But neither will we shrink

from that risk at any time it must be faced (izQuotes). This quote further proves that in the end
of a nuclear war, all that is left would be ashes. And at that point, who really wins?
Nuclear war between the United States and Russia is nothing near impossible. If these
countries ever got into a conflict they would first use conventional forces. After the conventional
phase of the war, one of the nations would unleash nuclear weapons that would decimate
themselves and the world around them. In the end, a nuclear bomb fest between the USA and
Russia is a possibility but not a very likely one in the years to come.