Ukraine War: Its End-Game Could End Up in Nuclear War

Our guest speaker is Prof. Peter Kuznick of American University, founder of the Nuclear Studies Institute and longtime advocate for nuclear disarmament. He will discuss how the Ukraine War is the most likely international flashpoint that could lead to WWIII between the US/NATO and Russia, which would probably mean a catastrophic nuclear war.

Now in its fifth year, Prof. Kuznick will discuss the growing possibility of a Ukrainian military defeat later this year after Russia mounts an anticipated major offensive this spring or summer. Russian forces not only could push Ukrainian troops entirely out of the eastern region of the Donbas, but also continue advancing west to the Dnieper River, effectively occupying half of Ukraine’s territory and threatening major cities like Kharkiv and Odessa.

The US/NATO might choose to help Ukraine avoid such a defeat by escalating and sending in EU troops; airpower to set up a no-fly-zone; long-range missiles like the Tomahawk that could reach deep into Russia’s heartland; and drone/missile attacks as they have done in the past two years on Russian strategic early-warning radar systems, airbases with nuclear-capable bombers, and even to assassinate Putin in one of his residences near Moscow. These are red lines that Russia has said could lead to the use of nuclear weapons.

Prof. Kuznick will also discuss the very dangerous mistake made by both Biden and Trump to let the START nuclear arms limitation treaty to expire on Feb. 5. To avoid a hugely expensive and even more destabilizing nuclear arms race, Trump should accept Putin’s offer of a 1-year extension of START while negotiating a new and even more effective treaty. Trump should also save billions of U.S. tax dollars by stopping development of the Golden Dome missile defense program.

He will also discuss the greatly exaggerated threat of Russia attacking European countries after it conquers Ukraine. This fear of Russia is driving EU governments to increase military spending and prepare for a major war with Russia by 2030, while slashing their budgets for human service and environmental priorities.

Peter Kuznick is Professor of History and founder and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University. A longtime advocate for nuclear disarmament, he has written extensively about science and politics, nuclear history, and Cold War culture. He is the author of Beyond the Laboratory: Scientists as Political Activists in 1930s America (2019); the co-author of Rethinking the Atomic Bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with Akira Kimura; and Rethinking Cold War Culture (2010) with James Gilbert. He and Oliver Stone co-authored the 10 part Showtime documentary film series and book both titled The Untold History of the United States. You can follow Professor Kuznick on his substack: https://substack.com/@peterkuznick.

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Sponsored by Ukraine: A Time for Peace Campaign, cosponsored by MAPA’s Nuclear Disarmament Working Group.