Russia and Ukraine flashpoint

[Dulfite]

CaptainExplosion said:

Ryuu96 said:

It won't be something to replace NATO, it'll be something like troops from certain countries stationed in Ukraine with a security guarantee to defend it if it comes under attack, that's only if NATO is out of the cards, I think Ukraine will want US, French and maybe Turkish troops stationed in Ukraine with security guarantees.

But if we do that won't Vladimir Putrid fire his nukes? -_-

I get the impression you think Putin will actually fire the nukes? No way that happens, despite whatever rhetoric on his behalf. He isn't stupid, if Russia fires nukes, almost every single one of them will get shot down before they land (most of them will be destroyed at the missile sites before they even have a chance to be unleashed). The few that day land won't hit any major cities as their iron dome defenses (for lack of a better term) will kick in, so the allies will basically have minimal losses, yet Moscow would be utterly annihilated at the very least (enough nukes will launch at that one city alone that they couldn't shoot all of them down) and Russia would dissolve into numerous warring/separated factions without it, leaving Russia gone as an empire of the past and Putin as the laughingstock dictator of a once great nation. Putin, I think, wants to go down in history as a powerful leader, not one who brought about the destruction of the nation he lead. No way, if he is sane, will he launch nukes. He only has a chance at winning proxy, conventional wars, not anything direct against NATO and certainly not going nuclear.

If he is crazy, on the other hand, then I think his own generals would remove him from power or kill him before they actually launch nukes.