By Rachel Bronson, February 27, 2022
Credit: Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine official Facebook page
A statement from our president and CEO, Rachel Bronson:
“The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists condemns the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
In January, the Bulletin set the Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight, the closest to midnight it has ever been. We referenced the precarious situation in Ukraine. We have also repeatedly reported on the dangers of unintended escalations as military postures and investment, along with political statements, increase the likelihood that nuclear weapons might be used. This is exactly what 100 seconds to midnight conveys. It is dangerous, fluid, and unstable.
Our Science and Security Board will meet this week and continue to evaluate the unfolding crisis.”
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How does Putin’s elevating readiness of nuclear arsenal affect the doomsday clock?
I believe it is prudent to relook at the clock setting given the recent activation of Russia’s nuclear weapons deployment units. This is the first time in history that an invading nuclear power has set their nukes to alert status. I fear that if things do not go his way, Putin may try to erase his name from the history books by destroying the hands of all of humanity in nuclear Armageddon.
I’ve been discussing with my husband about this and I’ve been saying the same. It seems to me like he is planning on fighting until he can’t anymore, and then taking out as many people as he can with nukes.
Likely wouldn't take a loss against a small nation very well... He even admitted as much when talking about how it looks domestically in 'negotiations'
What is the Bulletin's estimate on the time until midnight regarding Russia's new threats of using nuclear warheads?
Is this organization so politically motivated that you refuse to move the clock closer to midnight? We are in unprecedented times and I feel the worlds intellectuals are afraid to speak up for geopolitical reasons.
It tends to update once a year, I think that's the main reason they aren't moving it closer.
Even still, this is a situation in which I think it should be updated. Though, I believe they could still be assessing the situation before they do move the clock.
Why do people ask for an update of the doomsday clock? Isn't it obvious?
I want them to update it so I can share with friends and family how serious the proxy war in Ukraine has made things.
To understand Putin, you have to go back and review his KGB background. That takes the humanity out of the individual.At this point, his view is, if I can’t win, nobody is going to win. He is a psychopath, without sympathy, without empathy, without a soul.
A former DoD Department head recently said on Telegram that we will see DEFCON 1 in our lifetimes. Even if Putin is bluffing on the nukes, remember how his drunken military in occupied Ukraine accidentally shot down an Indonesian passenger plane.
This didn't need to happen.
When the Warsaw Pact disbanded there was some expectation of reciprocity. Instead NATO enlisted Poland, Hungary and others against Russia and made them feel like suckers. So they turned to Putin, a strongman who said he'd protect them.
If NATO placed hypersonic missiles in Ukraine, Moscow is only three minutes away. Three minutes to determine if an attack is only a radar malfunction.
America more or less won the cold war in the early 90s when they effectively began to control goverment policy, they implemented 'economic shock therapy' which deliberately caused the economy to fail, this caused a backlash against the west and the rise of oligarchs who controlled newly privatised ex nationalised industries, this ushered in the Putin era.
Would You mind to update the clock, it’s necessary for all of us, to concern people bedside politics.
Once Hitler realized that he was going to lose the war, he changed his mission. He concluded that the world wasn't worthy of him, that normal people weren't evolved enough to accept him, and so he would take as many of the world's people with him as possible. I see some similarities with Putin. He seems to be-in summary-a psychopath with extreme narcissism. He may believe that he is evolved above humanity, that he is not appreciated or understood, and he may decide that it would be appropriate to take as much of the world with him as possible. I wish I had a good suggestion. Maybe there are Russians on location who have access to possible a solution. I have been to Russia years ago, but it was only a brief visit, and I don't speak the language. What are they being told? What do the Russians believe and value?