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Mariupol after Russian attacks in April 2022

Photo:

Sergei Bobylev / ITAR-TASS / IMAGO

The Ukraine war has been dragging on for more than two years now.

Meanwhile, Kiev is suffering from a lack of ammunition and heavy losses in its own ranks.

The news about the situation in the war determines mutual drone attacks.

However, there was a time when the Ukrainian armed forces appeared to be on a triumphant march.

In the fall of 2022, they made major territorial gains as part of a counteroffensive in eastern Ukraine.

The Russian invaders during this time: cornered.

A report in the New York Times now suggests how dangerous this time really was.

And beyond Ukraine.

According to the report, intercepted, highly classified communications suggested that Russian threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine could materialize into an actual plan during this time.

According to the report, at an event with Democratic supporters in October 2022, US President Joe Biden said that if things continued to develop like this, there would be a risk of using nuclear weapons for the first time since the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Biden spoke of the first use of a nuclear weapon since Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

According to the report, concerns within the US government were so great that working groups met to prepare a possible necessary response.

It was therefore discussed that the countermeasure did not have to be nuclear.

However, government officials were convinced that a drastic response was necessary.

For example, through a conventional – but direct – strike on the Russian nuclear weapons unit.

According to the newspaper, Biden's appearance at the event was referred to internally in the White House as an "Armageddon speech."

A tactical nuclear strike by the Russian armed forces was repeatedly shown to be the West's red line in the Ukraine war.

And so far it hasn't happened.

According to the report, Chancellor Olaf Scholz could also play a part in this.

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Olaf Scholz, Xi Jinping in Beijing in November 2022

Photo: Kay Nietfeld / AFP

According to the New York Times report, there were diplomatic talks at the highest levels to prevent the risk of a Russian nuclear strike.

Among other things, as it is said, between Scholz and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

At the beginning of November 2022, Scholz and Xi spoke in Beijing about cooperation and differences.

At least officially.

On the planned trip to China, the Chancellor, who was informed about American intelligence information, was also supposed to talk to Xi about the threat of a global nuclear war.

And get him to declare both publicly and bilaterally with Moscow, probably Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin directly, that the use of nuclear weapons has no place in the Ukraine war.

Xi publicly spoke out against the use of nuclear weapons

After the meeting with Scholz, Xi said, according to Chinese state media, that they were “together” against the use of such things.

A nuclear crisis must be avoided in Eurasia, Xi said in a diplomatic statement.

The parties concerned must be sensible, exercise restraint and create conditions for resuming negotiations.

Xi did not express any direct criticism of Putin.

But the report that has now been published gives the statements made at the time a new reading.

However, it remains unclear whether Xi also warned against the use of nuclear weapons in a personal conversation with Putin.

According to the report, the US government also sent CIA chief William J. Burns into the running.

Burns therefore met with the boss of the Russian foreign intelligence service Sergei Naryshkin, who in turn thought that a ceasefire was being negotiated.

In fact, the newspaper quoted Burns, who claimed to have made it clear that there would be consequences for Russia in the event of a Russian nuclear strike.

Naryshkin replied that Putin had no intention of using nuclear weapons.

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