On July 14, 2022, a video was uploaded to the Mykola Antonchik YouTube channel of Russian military expert Maxim Klimov and former Donetsk People's Republic Defense Minister Igor Girkin speaking about the Ukraine-Russia war. Klimov said that the only "way out" of the conflict is for the Russian leadership to understand that there is a real threat of nuclear war, because the Americans are working towards using nuclear weapons and the Europeans are suffering a "decline in intelligence" that is leading towards this. He said that the solution that would lead to a de-escalation rather than an escalation should be allowing Russian ground commanders to use tactical nuclear weapons in "self-defense", and that the nuclear testing moratorium should be lifted. It is noteworthy that Klimov and Girkin sat before a Novorossiya flag, which represents the "New Russian" territories in southern Ukraine that Russia is claiming sovereignty over.
To view the clip of Russian expert Maxim Klimov, click here or below:
"[There Is] The Possibility Of A Surprise Nuclear Strike To Neutralize The Nuclear Potential Of The Russian Federation... These Things Have Been Worked Out By The American Side All This Time"
Maxim Klimov: "There is a second factor that needs to be mentioned — the possibility of a surprise nuclear strike to neutralize the nuclear potential of the Russian Federation. First of all, we need to clearly understand that these things have been worked out by the American side all this time, while we were, so to speak, banging our boots on the podium, that is, making loud political statements, they [the Americans] were, in fact, working on these issues.
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"The vulnerability of our ground forces [to a nuclear strike] has been expressed, including by the commanders of the Special Military Operation.
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"The thing is that we cannot ensure the normal operational capability of the component of strategic nuclear forces that is supposed to preclude the possibility of a nuclear strike.
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Russian Leadership Must Understand That "We Are Facing An Absolutely Real Threat Of A Transition To The Use Of Nuclear Arms"
"The only way out of this situation today are the measures that are in place... I emphasize that this is a factor of conflict de-escalation, not of escalation... First, commanders who are deployed in Ukraine should be allowed to use tactical nuclear weapons in self-defense. I don't want to get into the technicalities. These things should be publicly stated. Second, I believe the moratorium on nuclear testing should be brought to an end.
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"The only constructive solution that exists out of this whole conflict [in Ukraine] is, after all, an understanding on the part of the Russian side, the Russian leadership, of the gaping chasm which we are facing, an absolutely real threat of a transition to the use of nuclear arms. This is an absolutely real threat — I mean nuclear 'mushroom clouds' on the horizon. This is not an exaggeration at all. And by the way, the decline in intelligence among Western establishment is leading towards it. There are many [Europeans] who like to play with matches."
