If Russia chooses to be the first country in 77 years to use nuclear weapons, it could force China to take a side against Putin.
would use nuclear weapons in the war with Ukraine could put his relationship with China to the test, potentially isolating him from one of the few partners he has right now.
Putin put his nuclear forces on high alert on February 27 as a warning to the West that he may be prepared to resort to extreme measures to achieve his goals. While Russia is already standing relatively alone as Western condemnation of the war grows, if Moscow chooses to be the first country in 77 years to use nuclear weapons, it could push Beijing to take a firmer stance against Moscow.
"The West is united in rejecting him but he has key supporters like China and India," Rolf Mowatt-Larssen, former head of the Central Intelligence Agency's Weapons of Mass Destruction Department, told."He would risk losing support because I don't think any country wants to see any nuclear weapons used."
China and Russia have grown increasingly close as tensions both countries had with the United States escalated and they've both championed their"strategic partnership." China hasn't supported Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, but hasn't taken a hard stance condemning it, either. Chinese officials continue to call for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, advocating against other countries getting involved and criticizing the sanctions being put on Russia.
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