Peace On Earth, Or Humanity’s Doom? The Case for Negotiations

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks made last Friday, Dec. 9, in the wake of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s admission that the 2015 Minsk Agreements regarding Ukraine were never intended to be upheld, have sent shock waves throughout the world. Putin said, “If Russia does not use nuclear weapons first, it won’t use them second, either,” and that perhaps Russia should abandon its policy of “no first use” of nuclear weapons and adopt the U.S. policy of “first strike” thermonuclear war. (The US policy, it should be noted, also allows for fighting war even against powers without nuclear weapons, and even if the United States is not attacked with nuclear weapons.) Sleepwalkers in America and Europe should wake up. Did you know that “first use against everybody” is the U.S. policy? Do you support that? Do you know that the world has suddenly become a much more dangerous place than ten days ago. Why? The trust between Russia and the United States/NATO has evaporated to the point that,